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Africa:  Past  and  Present 


OF  THE  COUNTRY,  ITS  HISTORY,  GEOGRAPHY,  EXPLORATIONS, 
CLIMATES,  PRODUCTIONS,  RESOURCES,  POPULATION, 
TRIBES,  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  LANGUAGES, 
COLONIZATION, 

AND  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONS. 


BY  AN  OLD  RESIDENT. 

/ 

W I 1 ) t c\  Wi  o I si"-®  r 


WITH  MAP  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


folia ; 

AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

ISO,  NASSAU  STREET. 


MDCCCLXXXI. 


\ \ 


Hazell,  Watson,  and  Viney,  Printers,  London  and  Aylesbury. 


k ^-4 


"pRCPERT?^ 

PHIKGETON 

■ft£C.  JAN  1882 

thsologigal 


PREFACE. 


' I '^HE  interest  which  is  now  felt  by  all  classes  in 
everything  relating  to  Africa  has  suggested  to 
the  Author  the  propriety  of  giving  to  the  public  the 
results  of  his  own  observations  and  researches  during 
his  residence  and  travels,  both  in  the  western  and 
southern  sections  of  the  great  continent,  together  with 
such  information  as  he  has  been  able  to  glean  from 
the  various  works  that  he  has  read  upon  the  subject 
during  the  half-century  which  has  elapsed  since  his 
attention  was  first  drawn  to  the  study  of  this  interesting 
quarter  of  the  globe. 

By  careful  analysis,  arrangement,  and  condensation, 
the  writer  has  endeavoured  to  make  the  present  volume, 
not  only  a work  of  interest  to  the  general  reader,  but 
also  a portable,  cheap,  and  convenient  handbook  of 
reference  on  the  subjects  of  which  it  treats  for  mission- 
aries, merchants,  travellers,  emigrants,  and  others  who 
wish  for  reliable  information  on  the  history,  geography, 


IV 


Preface. 


climate,  resources,  and  productions  of  Africa  ; and  the 
character,  manners,  customs,  and  social  condition  of  its 
inhabitants  ; together  with  what  has  been  done,  and 
what  yet  remains  to  be  done,  to  promote  their  moral 
and  religious  improvement. 

How  far  the  Author  has  succeeded  in  his  aim  must 
be  left  for  the  reader  to  judge.  It  is  hoped  that  the 
index,  map,  and  illustrations  will  add  to  the  value  of 
the  volume,  and  contribute  to  its  general  and  permanent 
usefulness. 

W.  Moister. 

Sedbergh,  Yorkshire, 

November  lyh,  1879. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 

PAGE 

Herodotus  and  Strabo — Arab  Travellers — Portuguese  Discoveries — 
French  Discoveries — British  African  Association — Mungo  Park — 
Sundry  Travellers — Tuckey  and  Peddie — Gray  and  Laing — Ritchie 
and  Lyon — Denham  and  Clapperton — Laing  and  Caillie  . . I 


CHAPTER  II. 

Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery, 

Richard  and  John  Lander  — Laird  and  Oldfield  — Coulthurst  and 
Davidson  — Niger  Expedition  — Barth,  Krapf  and  Rebmann  — 
Burton  and  Speke — Grant  and  Baker — Dr.  Livingstone,  Stanley, 
and  Cameron  _ . . . . • • . > 53 


CHAPTER  III. 

Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade. 

Pievalence  of  Slavery — Sources  of  Slavery — Uses  of  Slaves — Treatment 
of  Slaves — The  Slave  Trade — Methods  of  Procuring  Slaves — The 
Middle  Passage — Slaves  in  Exile — Abolition  of  the  Slave  Trade — 
Emancipation  of  Slaves — Work  Still  to  be  Done  . . . loi 


VI 


Contents, 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Northern  Africa. 

PAGE 

Africa  in  General — Egypt — Nubia — Abyssinia — The  Barbary  States — 
Barca — Tripoli — Tunis — Algiers — Morocco  • , , * 127 

CHAPTER  V. 

Western  Africa. 

Geographical  Boundaries — Topographical  Aspect  and  Scenery  — 
Mountains  and  Rivers — Climate  and  Seasons — Soil  and  Produc- 
tions— Native  Tribes  — Manners  and  Customs  — Superstitious 
Notions  and  Practices — Colonization  and  Missions — Sierra  Leone 
— The  Gambia — The  Gold  Coast — Lagos — Liberia — Senegal — 
Fernando  Po — Angola  . . . ■ • • t .iSo 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Southern  Africa. 


General  Description — Mountains,  Rivers,  and  Lakes — Soil,  Produc- 
tions, and  Climate— Native  Tribes  and  Settlers — European  Colo- 
nization— The  Cape  Colony — Western  Province  — The  Cape 
Colony-^Eastem  Province — British  Kaffraria — The  Colony  of 
Natal — The  Orange  Free  State — The  Transvaal — Neighbouring 
Territories.  . . 234 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 

General  Outline — Rivers  and  Harbours — Native  Tribes  and  Settlers — 
Portuguese  Colonization — DelagoaBay — Mozambique — Quillimane 
— Zanzibar — Aden — Christian  Missions—  Makololo  Mission — Uni- 
versities’ Mission — Livingstonia  Mission  at  Lake  N’yassa — London 
Society’s  Mission  at  Lake  Tanganyika — Church  Society’s  Mission 
at  Lake  N’yanza — Conclusion 321 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

I.  Map  of  Africa  . , , , , , To  face  Title  Page. 


II.  Hippopotami  at  the  Falls  of  Barraconda,  River  Gambia  . 13 

III.  Falls  of  Govinia,  River  Senegal,  in  the  Rainy  Season  . , 22 

IV.  Canoe  Travelling  on  the  River  Niger 56 

V.  Lake  Tanganyika,  as  seen  from  the  South  . , . .82 

VI.  Slaves  on  their  March  from  the  Interior  to  the  Coast  . .114 

VII.  Women  Pounding  Com  for  Cus-cus  at  the  Gambia  , .185 

VIII.  African  Village  and  Palaver  Tree 199 

IX.  Fort  and  Town  of  Elmina 212 

X.  Kumasi,  the  Capital  of  Ashanti 216 

XI.  The  Island  of  Goree 226 

XII.  Port  and  Shipping  at  the  Mouth  of  the  Gaboon  . , . 230 

XIII.  Village  of  Slengelly,  Delagoa  Bay 330 

XIV.  Slave  Market  at  Zanzibar 334 

XV.  Steamer  Point,  Aden  . 337 

XVI.  Dining  on  the  Banks  of  the  Upper  Shire  ....  356 

XVII.  Camp  at  Kigoma  on  the  Borders  of  Tanganyika  . . . 365 


f 


CHAPTER  I. 


EARLY  ADVENTURE  AND  DISCOVERY. 


Herodotus  and  Strabo — Arab  Travellers— Portuguese  Discoveries — Early 
English  Discoveries — French  Discoveries — British  African  Association 
— Mungo  Park — Sundry  Travellers — Tuckey  and  Peddie — Gray  and 
Laing — Ritchie  and  Lyon — Denham  and  Clapperton — Laing  and 
Caillie. 

HROUGHOUT  the  entire  range  of  modern  geography 


we  find  no  country  more  interesting  in  its  general 
features,  or  presenting  stronger  claims  upon  the  attention  of  the 
Christian  philanthropist  than  Africa.  And  yet  it  is  a remark- 
able fact  that,  until  a comparatively  recent  period,  the  interior 
regions  of  this  vast  continent  remained  almost  entirely  unknown 
to  the  civilized  nations  of  the  earth.  It  is  true,  Egypt  and 
Nubia  on  the  borders  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  Libya,  Carthage 
and  other  districts  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  were 
well  known  to  the  ancients ; but  all  beyond  appears  to  have 
been  a veritable  terra  incognita.  Hence  it  becomes  an  inter- 
esting inquiry — At  what  periods,  and  by  what  means,  were  the 
more  distant  shores  of  Africa  explored,  and  the  inner  regions 
of  the  great  continent  partially  made  known  to  the  rest  of  the 
world  ? An  answer  to  this  question  may  appropriately  form  the 
subject  of  the  present  and  following  chapters,  as  introductory 
to  the  account  we  have  to  give  of  the  country  itself,  the  char- 
acter of  the  people  by  whom  it  is  inhabited,  and  the  means 
which  have  been  at  different  times  employed  for  their  civil, 
social,  and  moral  elevation. 


I 


2 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Herodotus  and  Strabo. 

The  earliest  instance  we  find  on  record  of  African  explora- 
tion inland  is  that  of  Herodotus,  the  celebrated  Greek  historian ; 
who,  when  collecting  information  respecting  the  whole  world 
for  his  great  historical  work,  was  obliged,  in  the  absence  of 
written  documents,  to  have  recourse  to  travelling.  His  published 
narrative  is  almost  entirely  the  record  of  what  he  saw  and  heard 
during  his  various  peregrinations ; and,  even  at  this  distant 
period,  it  possesses  an  interest  superior  to  that  of  most  ancient 
writings.  By  means  of  a long  stay  in  Egypt,  and  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  native  priests,  he  obtained  much  infor- 
mation respecting  the  wide  region  which  extends  from  the  Nile 
to  the  Atlantic.  But  not  satisfied  with  this,  he  took  an  exten- 
sive journey  into  the  interior  of  the  country.  He  justly  de- 
scribes it  as  much  inferior  in  fertility  to  the  cultivated  parts  of 
Europe  and  Asia,  and  as  suffering  severely  from  drought.  On 
quitting  the  northern  coast,  which  he  terms  the  “ forehead  of 
Africa,”  the  country  became  more  and  more  arid.  He  speaks 
of  hills  of  salt,  out  of  which  the  natives  constructed  their  houses 
without  any  fear  of  their  melting  beneath  a shower,  in  a region 
where  rain  was  almost  unknown.  As  he  proceeded,  the  land 
became  almost  a desert,  and  was  filled  with  such  multitudes  of 
wild  beasts  as  to  make  travelling  extremely  dangerous.  Farther 
to  the  south  the  sandy  barren  soil  no  longer  afforded  food  even 
for  these  fierce  tenants  of  the  wilderness : there  was  not  a blade 
of  grass,  a tree,  or  a fountain  of  water  to  be  seen  ; total  silence 
and  widespread  desolation  reigned,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to 
return.  Such  is  the  general  picture  which  Herodotus  draws  of 
this  northern  boundary  of  the  great  African  desert,  which  subse- 
quent examination  has  found  to  be  on  the  whole  fairly  correct. 

Strabo,  who  wrote  at  a subsequent  period,  and  after  the 
Roman  sway  was  fully  established  over  the  northern  coast  of 
Africa,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  some  of  the  interior 
states.  He  does  not,  like  Herodotus,  profess  to  have  visited 
the  countries  which  he  describes,  but  simply  records  the  infor- 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


3 


mation  which  he  had  obtained  from  others.  Extending  his 
view  beyond  the  Atlas,  he  describes  the  Mauri  as  peopling  a 
rich  country  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  capable  of  yielding  the  most 
abundant  harvests ; but  nothing  could  wean  the  nation  from  a 
wandering  life,  in  which  they  delighted,  moving  continually  with 
their  tents  from  place  to  place,  wrapped  in  skins  of  wild  beasts, 
and  riding  without  saddle,  and  often  without  bridle,  on  small, 
swift-footed,  active  horses.  He  represents  them  as  fighting  with 
swords  and  spears,  and  not  with  poisoned  arrows,  as  Horace 
had  described  some  warlike  African  tribes  when  engaged  in 
furious  contests  with  each  other.  Further  information  has 
proved  that  both  these  weapons,  and  many  other  dangerous 
missiles,  are  used  by  different  savage  nations  inhabiting  the 
continent  of  Africa. 


Arab  Travellers. 

The  first  to  penetrate  the  interior  of  Africa  for  the  purposes 
of  trade  and  commerce,  and  to  notice  the  character  of  the 
country  and  the  people,  were  the  enterprising  Arabs.  At  an 
early  period  they  introduced  the  camel,  which,  though  a native 
of  the  sandy  wastes  of  Arabia,  was  equally  adapted  to  the  still 
more  extensive  deserts  which  stretch  so  widely  over  many  parts 
of  Africa.  By  means  of  these  patient  creatures,  sometimes 
called  “the  ships  of  the  desert,”  the  mercantile  adventurers 
alluded  to,  everywhere  known  as  “ Moors,”  pushed  their  way 
through  the  narrowest  parts  of  the  great  Sahara  to  the  more 
fertile  and  populous  regions  of  the  interior,  where  they  propa- 
gated the  Moslem  faith  and  carried  on  a lucrative  trade  with 
the  various  negro  tribes  among  whom  they  sojourned.  We  are 
indebted  to  some  of  these  semi-civilized  adventurers  for  our 
earliest  knowledge  of  Inner  Africa,  their  narratives  having  come 
down  to  us  in  the  Arabic  language.  Allowance  being  made 
for  the  high  colouring  which  frequently  characterizes  these  nar- 
ratives, much  useful  information  may  be  gathered  from  them, 
as  some  of  the  parties  concerned  were  professed  travellers  as 
well  as  traders.  A specimen  or  two  of  the  most  interesting, 


4 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


and  apparently  the  most  reliable,  of  these  early  explorations  is 
all  that  our  limited  space  will  permit  us  to  give,  purposely 
omitting  accounts  of  African  travels  which  are  evidently 
fabulous. 

It  is  recorded  of  Ibn  Batuta,  a learned  Mohammedan  who 
flourished  in  the  fourteenth  century,  that  he  commenced  his 
great  journey  to  the  interior  of  Africa  from  Fez.  He  went  first 
to  Segilmissa,  which  he  describes  as  a handsome  town  situated 
in  a country  abounding  with  date  trees.  Having  joined-  a 
caravan,  he  came,  after  a journey  of  twenty-five  days,  to  Tha- 
ghari,  a place  celebrated  for  its  mine  of  salt,  where  the  native 
huts  were  built  of  slabs  of  that  mineral,  and  roofed  with  camels’ 
hides.  Thence  he  went  in  twenty  days  to  Tashala,  three  daj's 
beyond  which  commenced  a desert  of  the  most  dreary  aspect, 
where  there  was  neither  water,  bird,  nor  tree, — “ nothing  but 
sand  and  hills  of  sand.”  In  ten  days  more  he  reached  Abu 
Latin,  a large  trading  town,  crowded  with  native  merchants 
from  various  parts  of  the  continent.  From  Abu  Latin  our 
adventurer  proceeded  in  twenty-four  days  to  Mali,  then  the 
most  flourishing  city  in  that  part  of  the  interior.  Here  the 
traveller  was  astonished  by  the  immense  size  of  the  trees,  in 
the  "hollow  trunk  of  one  of  which  he  observed  a weaver  plying 
his  trade  ! In  this  part  of  his  journey  Ibn  Batuta  saw  an 
immense  river,  probably  the  Niger;  and  the  view  necessarily 
led  to  a conclusion  opposite  to  that  hitherto  entertained  by  his 
countrymen,  who  considered  it  as  flowing  eastward  to  the  ocean. 
Having  no  opportunity  of  making  a complete  observation,  he 
fell  into  the  opposite  error,  afterwards  prevalent  in  Northern 
Africa,  and  identified  it  with  the  Nile.  From  Mali  he  turned 
northward  to  Timbuctu.  This  city  was  then  governed  by  a 
negro  viceroy,  and  was  far  from  possessing  the  celebrity  and 
importance  which  it  afterwards  attained.  He  next  proceeded 
eastward  by  Kawkaw,  Bardama,  and  Nakda,  where  he  seems 
to  have  been  near  Nubia,  but  gives  no  further  details  till  he 
again  arrived  at  Fez. 

About  two  centuries  after  Ibn  Batuta,  a very  full  description 


Early  Adventure  a?id  Discovery.  5 

of  Africa  was  furnished  by  a geographer  named  Leo,  who  was 
even  honoured  with  the  surname  of  Africanus.  He  was  a 
native  of  Grenada,  in  Spain ; but  having,  after  the  capture  of 
that  city  by  Ferdinand,  repaired  to  Fez,  he  acquired  a know- 
ledge of  Arabic  learning  and  of  the  African  continent.  He 
afterwards  travelled  through  a great  part  of  the  interior ; and 
having,  on  his  return,  made  his  way  to  Rome,  he  wrote  a 
narrative  of  his  journey  under  the  auspices  of  Pope  Leo  X. 
It  appears  from  this  account  that  Timbuctu,  at  the  time  of 
his  visit,  had  risen  to  the  position  of  a powerful  and  important 
city, — the  centre  of  commerce  and  wealth  in  that  part  of  Africa. 
Ghana,  once  possessed  of  imperial  dignity,  had  changed  its 
name  to  Kano,  and  become  tributary  to  Timbuctu.  Bornou 
appears  under  its  present  appellation ; and  some  native  sove- 
reigns, who  afterwards  held  conspicuous  rank,  are  mentioned 
for  the  first  time.  The  names  of  several  prominent  places  are 
also  readily  identified  with  those  mentiemed  by  subsequent 
travellers.  At  Timbuctu  several  of  the  Moorish  merchants 
were  exceedingly  opulent,  and  two  of  them  had  obtained 
princesses  in  marriage.  Literature  was  cultivated  with  ardour, 
and  Arabic  manuscripts  bore  a higher  price  than  any  other 
commodity.  Izchia,  the  king,  who  had  subdued  all  the 
neighbouring  countries,  maintained  an  army  of  three  thousand 
horse  and  a numerous  infantry,  partly  armed  with  poisoned 
arrows.  Gold,  for  which  its  capital  had  now  become  the  chief 
mart,  was  lavishly  employed  in  the  embellishment  of  his  court 
and  person ; some  of  his  ornaments  weighing  as  much  as 
1 300  ounces  ! The  royal  palace  and  several  mosques  were 
built  of  stone ; but  the  ordinary  habitations,  as  in  all  towns 
and  villages  of  Central  Africa,  were  merely  bell-shaped  huts, 
the  materials  of  which  were  stakes,  clay,  and  reeds. 

Portuguese  Discoveries. 

Little  more  was  done  in  the  way  of  exploring  the  distant 
coasts  and  interior  regions  of  Africa  till  towards  the  end  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  when  the  different  nations  of  Europe  began 


6 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


to  awake  from  the  slumber  and  apathy  in  which  they  had  been 
so  long  involved.  The  invention  of  the  mariner’s  compass, 
the  skill  of  the  Venetian  and  Genoese  pilots,  and  the  know- 
ledge which  had  been  transmitted  from  former  times,  inspired 
all  classes  with  the  hope  of  being  able  to  pass  the  ancient  geo- 
graphical barriers  of  the  globe,  and  to  throw  light  upon  regions 
hitherto  unknown.  Portugal,  a nation  of  comparatively  small 
resources,  but  of  remarkable  energy,  started  first  in  this  career 
of  maritime  and  geographical  enterprise,  and  took  the  lead  for 
a considerable  period  of  all  the  European  states.  During  the 
reign  of  its  kings  John  and  Emanuel,  it  stood  pre-eminent  in 
this  respect ; and  Prince  Henry  in  particular — a younger  son 
of  John  I. — devoted  all  his  thoughts  to  the  promotion  of  naval 
undertakings. 

No  idea  had  been  entertained  at  this  early  period  of  the 
new  world  afterwards  discovered  by  the  daring  and  enterprising 
Columbus.  The  local  position  of  their  country,  its  wars  and 
expeditions  against  Morocco,  suggested  the  thought  that  the 
western  border  of  Africa  was  the  best  field  for  research.  The 
information  respecting  this  coast  was  at  that  time  very  limited ; 
so  that  the  passage  of  Cape  Bojador  by  Gilianez,  in  1433, 
caused  a surprise  and  admiration  almost  equal  to  what  were 
afterwards  excited  by  the  discovery  of  America.  On  a second 
attempt  at  exploration  rapid  progress  was  made  along  the  shore 
of  the  great  Sahara,  and  the  Portuguese  navigators  were  not 
long  in  reaching  the  fertile  regions  watered  by  the  Senegal  and 
the  Gambia.  The  early  part  of  this  voyage  was  dreary  in  the 
extreme,  for  the  mariners  saw  nothing  but  naked  rocks  and 
burning  sands  stretching  far  away  into  the  interior  in  every 
direction.  Beyond  Cape  Blanco,  however,  Nuno  Tristan,  in 
1443,  discovered  the  Island  of  Arguin  ; and,  notwithstanding 
the  disaster  of  Gonzalo  de  Cintra,  who,  in  1445,  was  killed  by 
a party  of  Moors  at  that  place,  the  Portuguese  made  it  for 
some  time  their  head-quarters,  whilst  they  undertook  further 
explorations  on  the  neighbouring  continent. 

The  researches  of  the  Portuguese  on  the  western  coast  of 


7 


Early  Adve7iture  and  Discovery. 

Africa,  at  this  early  period,  were  stimulated  by  the  hope  of 
discovering  and  opening  an  intercourse  with  a distinguished 
sable  prince  of  whom  they  had  heard  much  under  the  mys- 
terious appellation  of  “ Prester  John.”  This  singular  name 
seems  to  have  been  first  introduced  by  travellers  from  Eastern 
Asia,  who  represented  the  imaginary  person  to  whom  it  was 
applied  as  reigning  in  unexampled  splendour  in  some  part 
of  the  interior  of  Africa.  What  were  the  precise  expectations 
from  intercourse  with  this  far-famed  personage  does  not  fully 
appear ; but  the  idea  was  thoroughly  rooted  in  the  minds  of 
the  navigators,  that  they  would  be  raised  to  a matchless  height 
of  glory  and  renown  if  they  could  by  any  means  arrive  at  his 
court  The  same  delusion  seems  to  have  prevailed  at  home, 
for  the  principal  instruction  given  to  all  officers  employed  in 
African  service  was,  that  in  every  quarter  and  by  every  means 
they  should  endeavour  to  effect  this  grand  discovery.  They 
accordingly  never  failed  to  put  the  question  to  all  the  wanderers 
of  the  Desert,  and  to  every  caravan  that  came  from  the  interior, 
if  they  knew  anything  of  the  dwelling-place  of  Prester  John.  But 
all  their  inquiries  were  in  vain : such  a person  had  never  been 
heard  of ; and  we  need  scarcely  add  that,  being  a mere  myth,  he 
was  never  found. 

In  1446  Diniz  Fernandez  discovered  Cape  Verd,  and  in  the 
following  year  Lancelot,  another  Portuguese  navigator,  entered 
the  mouth  of  the  Senegal.  In  this  neighbourhood  the  mariners 
found  fertile  and  populous  regions,  that  promised  to  reward 
their  exertions  much  more  effectually  than  the  visionary  name 
after  which  they  had  so  eagerly  inquired.  A circumstance 
occurred  also  at  this  time  which  was  regarded  as  peculiarly 
auspicious.  An  African  prince  of  the  Jalloff  nation,  named 
Bemoy,  came  to  the  Portuguese  at  Arguin,  complaining  that 
he  had  been  driven  from  the  throne  of  his  ancestors,  and 
entreating  the  aid  of  the  strangers  to  enable  him  to  recover  his 
crown,  which  he  was  willing,  he  said,  to  wear  as  their  ally,  and 
even  as  their  vassal.  He  was  received  with  open  arms,  and 
conveyed  to  Lisbon  soon  afterwards,  where  he  met  with  a 


8 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


brilliant  reception,  being  entertained  with  bull-fights,  puppet- 
shows,  and  Oiher  kindred  amusements.  After  being  instructed 
in  the  Christian  religion,  according  to  the  rites  of  the  Romish 
Church,  he  was  baptized,  and  did  homage  to  the  King  and  to 
the  Pope  for  the  crown  which  was  to  be  placed  on  his  head 
through  their  influence  on  his  return  to  his  native  land.  At 
length  an  expedition  was  fitted  out,  under  the  command  of 
Pero  Vaz  d’Acunha,  to  convey  the  young  prince  to  his  own 
country  on  the  banks  of  the  Senegal.  The  conclusion  of  this 
adventure  was,  however  extremely  tragical ; for,  a quarrel  having 
arisen  between  Bemoy  and  the  commander  of  the  ship  in  which 
he  sailed,  the  latter  stabbed  the  prince  on  board  of  his  vessel, 
and  thus  an  end  was  put  to  this  strange  enterprise. 

The  Portuguese  continued  to  prosecute  their  African  dis- 
coveries till  1471,  when  they  reached  the  Gold  Coast,  where, 
dazzled  by  the  importance  and  splendour  of  the  commodity, 
the  commerce  of  which  gave  name  to  the  region,  they  built 
Elmina,  with  its  fort  and  other  appendages,  and  made  it  the 
capital  of  their  possessions  on  that  part  of  the  continent. 
Pushing  onward  to  Benin,  they  received  a curious  account  of 
a powerful  African  sovereign,  whose  kingdom  was  said  to  be 
situated  at  a distance  of  seven  or  eight  hundred  miles  from 
the  coast.  From  the  statements  made  of  the  splendour  which 
surrounded  this  sable  monarch,  the  strangers  for  a time  in- 
dulged the  pleasing  but  delusive  hope  that  he  might  prove 
to  be  the  far-famed  Prester  John,  of  whom  they  had  been  so 
long  in  search  ; but  their  most  careful  inquiries  resulted  in 
disappointment,  as  before. 

In  1484  Diego  Cam  sailed  from  Elmina  in  quest  of  new 
shores,  on  which  the  cross  might  be  planted  as  an  emblem  ot 
national  dominion,  according  to  the  instructions  which  he  had 
received  from  the  king  of  Portugal  After  passing  Cape  St. 
Catharine,  he  found  himself  involved  in  a very  strong  current 
setting  out  from  the  land,  which  was  still  distant ; and  the 
water,  when  tasted,  was  ascertained  to  be  fresh.  It  was  con- 
jectured, from  these  circumstances,  that  he  was  near  the  mouth 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


9 


of  a large  river,  which  proved  to  be  the  case,  and  it  is  now  well 
known  as  the  Zaire  or  Congo.  On  reaching  the  southern  bank 
of  the  magnificent  stream,  Diego  landed  and  erected  his  first 
monument,  indicative  of  his  claim  to  the  country.  On  ascending 
the  river  for  a short  distance,  he  came  in  contact  with  some  of 
the  inhabitants,  and  inquired  after  the  residence  of  their  sove- 
reign. They  pointed  to  a place  at  a considerable  distance  in 
the  interior,  and  undertook  to  guide  thither  a mission,  which 
they  pledged  themselves,  within  a given  period,  to  lead  back  in 
safety.  As  the  natives  in  the  meantime  passed  and  repassed 
between  the  shore  and  the  vessel  with  the  utmost  freedom  and 
confidence,  Diego  basely  took  advantage  of  a moment  when 
several  of  the  principal  persons  were  on  board,  weighed  anchor 
and  stood  out  to  sea. 

Great  was  the  consternation  of  the  simple-minded  negroes 
when  they  found  themselves  floating  away  from  their  native 
shores  in  the  white  man’s  big  ship.  Diego  tried  to  soothe 
them  as  best  he  could,  by  endeavouring  to  make  them  under- 
stand, by  signs  and  otherwise,  that  this  step  was  taken  solely  to 
gratify  the  anxious  desire  of  his  sovereign  to  see  and  converse 
with  these  African  chiefs — assuring  them  that  in  fifteen  moons 
they  should  be  brought  back  in  safety  to  their  native  land.  He 
then  sailed  for  Lisbon,  where  he  exhibited  with  triumph  these 
living  trophies  of  his  wonderful  discoveries.  The  king  was 
much  pleased,  and  held  many  conversations  with  the  sable 
strangers,  whom  he  loaded  with  honours,  and  caused  to  be 
conveyed  back  to  their  own  country  within  the  appointed 
time. 

On  arriving  in  the  mouth  of  the  river,  Diego  was  highly 
gratified  to  see  waiting  on  the  shore  the  portion  of  the  crew 
whom  he  had  left  behind  as  pledges  of  his  return,  and  con- 
cerning whom  he  had  felt  some  anxiety.  He  found  the  natives 
on  shore  disposed  to  be  quite  friendly,  their  confidence  in  the 
pale-faced  strangers  being  increased  by  the  safe  return  of  their 
fellow-countrymen,  after  witnessing  the  strange  sights  of  Europe. 
Diego  was  now  invited  to  the  native  court,  where  the  sable 


lO  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

sovereign  not  only  received  him  with  kindness,  but  agreed  to 
embrace  Christianity,  and  to  send  several  of  his  nobles  to 
Portugal  to  be  instructed  in  its  principles.  They  soon  after- 
wards sailed  accordingly,  and  their  arrival  at  Lisbon  gave  fresh 
satisfaction  to  the  king  and  his  people.  They  remained  two 
years  in  Europe,  experiencing  the  best  treatment ; and,  on  being 
considered  ripe  for  baptism,  the  king  stood  godfather  to  the 
principal  envoy,  and  his  chief  courtiers  to  others ; on  which 
occasion  the  African  converts  received  the  names  of  the  dis- 
tinguished persons  by  whom  they  had  been  thus  honoured. 

In  1490  a new  armament  was  fitted  out,  under  the  command 
of  Ruy  de  Sousa,  to  convey  this  party  of  Africans  back  to  their 
native  land,  and  to  take  more  formal  possession  of  the  country. 
The  Portuguese,  on  their  arrival  once  more  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Congo,  were  received  by  the  sable  monarch  and  his  people 
with  great  pomp,  and  the  most  extravagant  manifestations  of 
barbaric  joy.  The  native  troops  were  drawn  up  to  grace  the 
occasion,  and  advanced  towards  the  shore  in  three  lines, 
making  a prodigious  noise  with  horns,  kettledrums,  and  other 
rude  instruments.  The  king  was  seated  on  an  ivory  chair 
raised  on  a platform,  dressed  in  rich  and  glossy  skins  of  wild 
beasts,  with  a bracelet  of  brass  hanging  from  his  left  arm,  a 
horse’s  tail  pending  from  his  shoulder,  and  a head-dress  of  fine 
cloth  woven  from  the  palm-tree  of  the  country.  He  gave  full 
permission  to  the  strangers  to  settle  in  his  dominions,  to  build 
a church,  and  to  propagate  the  Christian  religion.  The  king 
himself  and  all  his  nobles  were  forthwith  baptized ; and  the 
freest  scope  was  allowed  to  the  Roman  Catholic  missionaries 
who  accompanied  the  expedition  to  prosecute  their  appointed 
work. 

Here  was  a fine  opportunity  of  introducing  the  pure  light 
of  the  Gospel  into  a benighted  land  ; but  it  is  to  be  feared  that 
the  Romish  priests  brought  by  the  Portuguese  did  not  duly 
improve  it,  or  proceed  in  a manner  that  was  likely  permanently 
to  benefit  the  people.  They  baptized  the  poor  ignorant  natives 
by  hundreds  and  thousands,  it  is  true,  and  adapted  the  cere- 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  1 1 

monies  and  gaudy  processions  of  their  Church  in  a great 
measure  to  the  heathen  rites  and  superstitions  of  the  people ; 
but  they  were  left  in  the  grossest  pagan  ignorance,  without  any 
adequate  idea  of  the  principles  of  Christianity  which  they  were 
made  to  profess.  It  is,  moreover,  admitted  by  Portuguese 
historians  that  physical  force  was  frequently  employed  to  bring 
the  natives  more  completely  under  the  will  of  the  priests.  The 
accounts  given  of  some  of  the  floggings  which  took  place,  ot 
both  males  and  females,  would  be  alternately  shocking  and 
ludicrous  if  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  they  were  associated 
with  the  propagation  of  religion.  The  ultimate  result  of  such 
a system  might  have  been  easily  foreseen.  After  a long  career 
of  superstition  and  folly,  and  of  the  so-called  success  of  the 
mission,  the  priests  came  into  collision  with  the  chiefs  and 
people  on  the  subject  of  polygamy  and  other  matters,  and  they 
were  summarily  expelled  from  the  country.  At  what  period 
this  occurred  does  not  appear;  but  when  subsequent  travellers 
explored  the  banks  of  the  Congo  in  the  following  century, 
they  found  no  trace  of  Christianity  or  of  the  labours  of  the 
Romish  missionaries,  nor  any  traditions  among  the  natives  of 
their  ever  having  been  there. 

Early  English  Discoveries. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  a change  had 
passed  over  the  relative  positions  of  the  mercantile  and 
maritime  powers  of  Europe.  Portugal  had  been  eclipsed  by 
Spain,  France,  and  Holland  in  succession.  The  last-named 
power  had  wrested  from  the  Portuguese  their  far-famed  African 
settlement  Elmina,  and  usurped  their  position  and  influence 
on  that  part  of  the  coast.  At  the  same  time  a spirit  of  enter- 
prise was  awakened  in  England  such  as  had  never  been  known 
before.  In  i6i8  a company  was  formed  in  London  for  the 
purpose  of  exploring  the  Gambia,  with  the  impression  that  that 
noble  river  might  prove  a highway  into  the  interior,  and  to 
the  wealthy  neighbourhood  of  Timbuctu,  if  it  were  not  in  fact 


12  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

an  outlet  of  the  mighty  Joliba,  or  Niger,  as  some  geographers 
supposed. 

The  first  person  employed  in  this  service  was  Richard 
Thompson,  a man  of  considerable  spirit  and  enterprise,  who 
was  sent  out  in-  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  in  charge  of 
the  brig  Catharine,  120  tons  burden,  with  a cargo  worth 
about  f 2,000.  In  the  month  of  December  he  entered  the 
river ; and  proceeded  as  high  as  Kassan,  where  he  left  his 
vessel  and  most  of  his  crew,  and  pushed  on  in  boats.  The 
Portuguese,  who  were  still  numerous  in  that  district,  and 
retained  all  their  lofty  claims,  were  seized  with  bitter  jealousy 
of  this  expedition,  made  by  a foreign  and  rival  power.  Led 
on  by  Hector  Nunez,  they  furiously  attacked  the  party  left 
at  Kassan  and  made  a general  massacre  of  our  countrymen. 
Thompson  was  greatly  distressed  on  hearing  the  dreadful 
tidings  that  several  of  his  men  had  thus  fallen  by  the  hand 
of  violence ; but  he  was  too  weak  to  avenge  the  slaughter  of 
his  people.  He  nevertheless  prosecuted  his  discoveries  with 
vigour,  and  sent  home  the  most  encouraging  accounts  of  the 
general  prospects  of  his  undertaking.  The  company,  influenced 
by  his  statements,  sent  out  another  vessel,  which  unfortunately 
arrived  at  the  most  unhealthy  season  of  the  year,  and  lost 
most  of  the  crew  by  death.  Yet  they  were  not  dismayed ; but 
forthwith  fitted  out  a third  and  larger  expedition,  consisting  of 
the  Sion,  of  200  tons,  and  the  St.John,  of  50,  and  gave  the 
command  to  Richard  Jobson,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for 
the  first  reliable  and  satisfactory  account  of  the  great  river- 
districts  of  Western  Africa. 

Jobson  entered  the  Gambia  in  the  month  of  November, 
1620  ; and  the  first  intelligence  he  received  on  reaching  Fort 
James  was  that  of  the  death  of  Thompson,  his  predecessor, 
who  had  perished  by  the  hands  of  his  own  men.  Mutiny  was 
not  uncommon  in  those  days ; but  how  it  arose  in  this  instance, 
or  who  was  to  blame,  never  seems  to  have  been  fully  investi- 
gated. The  crew  of  the  Catharine  are  said  to  have  been 
unanimous  in  representing  the  conduct  of  their  commander 


, * 1 


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•.’,••  'V'-  , • 


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k-  ■ ' ■ ' ' ■ ' ■ 

'*•■ 


\ - 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


13 


as  oppressive  and  tyrannical ; but  in  regard  to  a man  of  un- 
doubted courage  and  enterprise,  and  who  was  the  first  English- 
man who  fell  in  the  cause  of  African  discovery  of  which  we 
have  any  record,  we  should,  in  the  absence  of  direct  evidence, 
cherish  a spirit  of  Christian  charity.  Notwithstanding  the 
shock  caused  by  this  sad  disaster,  Jobson  took  courage,  and 
pushing  briskly  up  the  river,  soon  arrived  at  Kassan,  the 
rendezvous  of  the  former  expedition.  The  Portuguese  inhabit- 
ants of  that  neighbourhood  had  most  of  them  fled  before  his 
arrival,  whilst  the  few  who  remained  professed,  in  respect  to 
the  notorious  Hector  Nunez  and  the  massacre  committed  by 
him,  both  ignorance  and  horror;  but  there  was  reason  to  believe 
that  they  were  planning  fresh  schemes  of  mischief. 

In  consequence  of  these  machinations  Jobson  could  scarcely 
prevail  upon  a native  pilot  to  accompany  him  to  the  upper  river. 
He  nevertheless  pressed  forward  in  the  most  commendable 
manner,  with  such  help  as  he  could  procure ; but  after  passing 
the  falls  of  Barraconda  he  found  himself  involved  in  great 
difficulties.  The  ascent  had  to  be  made  against  a rapid  current; 
the  frequency  of  hidden  rocks,  moreover,  made  it  dangerous  to 
sail  in  the  night ; and  the  boats  often  stuck  upon  sand-banks 
and  shallows,  when  it  became  necessary  for  the  crews  to  strip 
and  go  into  the  water  to  push  them  over  these  obstacles.  On 
one  occasion  they  were  obliged  to  drag  the  boats  ashore,  and 
carry  them  a mile  and  a half  on  their  shoulders,  till  they  came 
to  deeper  water,  where  the  rocks  and  sand-banks  were  less 
obstructive.  1 

The  discoverers  now  found  themselves  in  an  entirely  new 
world,  and  surrounded  by  novel  aspects  of  nature.  On  every 
side  were  immense  forests  of  unknown  trees,  whilst  both  land 
and  water  were  inhabited  by  multitudes  of  savage  animals,  whose 
roarings  every  night  resounded  through  the  air  in  the  most 
alarming  manner.  Sometimes  as  many  as  tw’enty  crocodiles 
were  seen  together  in  the  stream,  or  basking  in  the  sun  on  a 
sand-bank.  Hippopotami,  or  sea-horses  as  they  were  then  called, 
w’ere  observed  tossing  their  huge  heads  and  snorting  in  almost 


14  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

every  po'/il ; whilst  elephants  appeared  in  such  numbers  on  the 
shore,  that  at  one  place  there  were  sixteen  observed  in  a single 
troop.  Lions,  ounces  and  leopards  were  also  seen  at  a little 
distance ; but  amid  the  alarms  occasioned  by  the  appearance 
and  bowlings  of  these  ferocious  creatures,  the  sailors  were  much 
amused  by  observing  the  various  evolutions  of  the  monkey 
tribe,  some  of  which  performed  various  kinds  of  antics  in  their 
presence. 

Amid  these  difficulties  and  adventures  the  party  arrived  at 
Tenda  on  the  26th  of  January,  1621,  where  they  had  appointed 
to  meet  Buckar  Sano,  the  chief  native  merchant  on  the  Gambia. 
This  important  personage  rendered  the  expedition  good  service, 
and  volunteered  some  valuable  information;  but  the  confi- 
dence of  J obson  in  his  veracity  was  somewhat  shaken  by  the 
glowing  accounts  which  he  gave  of  a city  four  months’  journey 
in  the  interior,  the  houses  of  which,  he  declared,  were  covered 
with  gold  ! The  report  of  a vessel  having  come  up  the  river  to 
trade  caused  great  excitement  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Tenda, 
and  drew  multitudes  of  natives  together  from  the  surrounding 
districts.  These  built  temporary  huts,  and  soon  formed  a little 
village  on  each  side  of  the  river.  Unfortunately,  the  universal 
cry  was  for  salt,  a commodity  in  great  demand  in  this  and  other 
parts  of  Africa.  Not  being  aware  of  this  fact,  Jobson  had  not 
laid  in  a sufficient  supply ; but  the  articles  he  had  were  highly 
prized,  and  in  exchange  for  them  he  received  gold  and  ivory. 

Buckar  Sano  having  offered  to  introduce  the  English  at  the 
court  of  Tenda,  they  proceeded  to  the  royal  place  of  residence. 
On  reaching  the  king’s  presence  they  witnessed  an  example  of 
the  debasing  homage  which  is  usually  paid  to  African  princes, 
such  as  they  had  never  seen  before.  The  great  and  wealthy 
merchant,  on  appearing  before  his  sable  majesty,  first  fell  upon 
his  knees  ; then,  throwing  off  his  shirt,  extended  himself  naked 
and  prostrate  upon  the  ground,  whilst  his  attendants  covered 
him  with  dust  and  mud ! After  grovelling  for  some  time  in 
this  position,  he  started  up,  shook  off  the  dirt  from  his  person ; 
and,  assisted  by  two  of  his  wives,  he  was  speedily  equipped  in 


15 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 

his  best  attire,  with  bow  and  quiver  at  his  side.  He  and  his 
attendants,  after  having  made  a semblance  of  shooting  at  Jobson, 
laid  their  bows  and  arrows  at  his  feet ; which  was  understood  as 
a token  of  submission  and  a high  compliment.  The  king  assured 
the  English  captain  that  the  country  and  everything  in  it  were 
thus  placed  at  his  disposal.  In  return  for  gifts  so  magnificent, 
we  are  sorry  to  record  that  the  gallant  explorer  presented  the 
king  of  Tenda  with  nothing  better  than  a few  bottles  of  brandy. 

Whilst  Jobson  was  thus  amusing  himself  and  his  men  with 
the  novel  sights  of  the  Upper  Gambia,  he  found  himself  in  the 
middle  of  the  dry  season,  when  the  water  of  the  river  sinks 
lower  and  lower,  and  when  navigation,  even  with  canoes  and 
small  boats,  becomes  exceedingly  difficult.  At  length  the 
stream  became  so  shallow,  and  the  obstructions  to  navigation 
so  numerous,  that  he  found  it  utterly  vain  to  attempt  ascending 
higher.  He  therefore  commenced  his  voyage  downward  on  the 
loth  of  February,  proposing  to  return  and  renew  his  researches 
during  the  following  season,  when  the  periodical  rains  filled  the 
channel.  This  purpose  was  never  executed,  however;  for  before 
the  time  arrived  for  further  operations,  both  he  and  his  patrons 
had  become  so  involved  in  quarrels  with  the  Gambia  merchants 
that  the  expedition  was  abandoned. 

The  company  in  whose  service  Thompson  and  Jobson  had 
been  engaged,  amid  the  discord  and  divisions  alluded  to,  do 
not  appear  to  have  prosecuted  any  further  their  designs  of 
African  discovery.  The  next  attempt  in  this  way,  of  which 
we  find  any  record,  was  made  by  a wealthy  merchant  at  the 
Gambia  named  Vermuyden,  who  fitted  out  a boat  well  stored 
with  provisions  and  merchandise,  for  the  purpose  of  exploring 
the  upper  river  to  search  for  gold,  which  was  said  to  exist  in 
rich  abundance.  He  first  came  to  a wide  expanse  of  water 
which  he  compares  to  Windermere  Lake,  where  the  chief  diffi- 
culty was  to  find  the  main  branch  of  the  river,  amid  several 
that  opened  from  different  quarters.  “ Up  the  buffing  stream,” 
says  he,  “with  sad  labour  we  wrought and  when  they  ascended 
higher,  it  often  became  necessary  to  drag  the  boat  over  the 


1 6 Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

shallows,  or  to  carry  it  for  a short  distance  through  the  jungle, 
after  the  manner  of  former  voyagers,  to  avoid  the  rocks  that 
impeded  the  navigation.  They  were  rather  rudely  received 
by  the  only  tenants  of  these  watery  regions — the  crocodiles  and 
river-horses.  One  of  the  latter  struck  a hole  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat  with  his  teeth, — an  accident  \vhich  proved  very  incon- 
venient, from  the  absence  of  any  one  skilled  in  carpentry. 
Having  elfected  the  necessary  repairs  as  best  they  could,  the 
voyagers  endeavoured  to  avoid  future  accidents  by  hanging  a 
lantern  at  the  stern  of  the  boat,  which  caused  these  monsters 
of  the  deep  to  keep  at  a respectful  distance. 

In  the  course  of  their  voyage,  Vermuyden  and  his  party 
landed  at  various  places  on  the  banks  of  the  Gambia  to  search 
for  gold.  At  one  place  they  found  a large  mass  of  glittering 
matter,  which  at  first  they  took  to  be  the  genuine  article,  but 
which,  on  examination,  proved  to  be  mere  spar  or  mica.  At 
another  place,  by  twenty  days’  labour,  they  succeeded,  with 
patient  washing  of  the  sand,  in  extracting  twelve  ounces  of  the 
precious  metal.  At  length  the  traveller  declares  that  he  arrived 
‘•'at  the  mouth  of  the  mine  itself,  and  saw  gold  in  such  abundance 
as  surprised  him  with  joy  and  admiration.”  He  gives  no  par- 
ticulars, however,  of  the  position  of  this  vein,  the  existence  of 
which  has  not  been  confirmed  by  any  subsequent  observer ; nor 
does  he  seem  to  have  continued  his  researches,  as  he  no  doubt 
found  more  profit  in  mercantile  pursuits  than  in  prospecting  for 
the  precious  metal. 

It  was  not  till  the  year  1720  that  the  spirit  of  African  discovery 
revived  in  England.  The  Duke  of  Chandos,  then  director  of 
the  African  Company,  concerned  at  the  declining  state  of  their 
affairs,  entertained  the  idea  of  reviving  them  by  opening  a path 
. into  the  golden  regions  still  reported  to  exist  in  the  interior  of 
Africa.  At  his  suggestion  the  members,  in  1723,  furnished 
Captain  Bartholomew  Sibbs  with  the  usual  means  of  sailing 
up  the  Gambia.  On  the  7th  of  October  he  arrived  at  James’s 
Island,  a small  English  settlement  about  thirty  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  whence  he  immediately  wrote  to  Mr.  Willy, 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


17 


the  Governor,  who  happened  to  be  then  visiting  the  factory  of 
Joar,  more  than  a hundred  miles  distant,  asking  him  to  engage 
canoes  from  the  natives  for  the  use  of  the  expedition.  He 
received  for  answer  that  none  were  to  be  had,  and  was  greatly 
distressed  to  find  that  this  officer  was  giving  himself  no  concern 
about  the  affair.  A few  days  afterwards,  however,  a boat 
brought  down  the  dead  body  of  the  Governor,  who  had  fallen  a 
victim  to  the  prevailing  fever  of  the  country,  and  he  was  left  to 
his  own  resources. 

From  various  causes  of  delay  it  was  not  till  the  26th  of 
December  that  Sibbs  and  his  party  proceeded  on  their  voyage 
up  the  Gambia.  The  expedition  consisted  of  nineteen  white 
men  and  twenty-nine  hired  negroes,  with  three  female  cooks, 
and  a balafeu  or  native  musician,  to  enliven  the  spirits  of  the 
party  by  his  performances.  The  season  was  somewhat  ad- 
vanced for  the  navigation  of  the  river,  but  for  some  time  every- 
thing proceeded  agreeably.  The  voyagers  were  everywher'e 
well  received  by  the  natives,  and  at  one  place  a saphie  or  charm 
was  laid  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  drawing 
them  on  shore  ! The  captain  had  endeavoured  to  conceal  the 
prime  object  of  his  journey ; but  his  efforts  were  vain,  for  he 
found  himself  pointed  out  by  the  natives  as  the  person  who  was 
“come  to  bring  down  the  gold  ! ” The  native  crew,  however, 
were  evidently  unwilling  to  proceed  to  the  upper  river,  and 
predicted  the  most  fearful  disasters  if  any  attempt  was  made  to 
go  any  farther.  A long  palaver  ensued,  and,  according  to  the 
adventurer’s  own  account,  it  was  not  till  he  had  produced  a 
bottle  of  his  best  brandy  that  he  conquered  the  scruples  of  his 
sable  followers,  and  got  them  to  proceed  beyond  what  they 
regarded  as  the  limits  of  the  universe. 

The  Falls  of  Barraconda  were  not  found  so  formidable  as 
was  expected.  They  were  narrows  rather  than  falls,  the  channel 
being  confined  at  this  point  by  rocky  ledges  and  fragments, 
between  which  there  was  only  one  available  passage,  where  the 
canoes  rubbed  against  the  rocks  on  either  side.  The  most 
persevering  e.xenion  now  became  necessary  in  order  to  pass  the 


2 


i8 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


shallows  and  quicksands,  which  multiplied  in  proportion  as 
they  ascended  the  stream,  and  over  which  the  boats  had 
frequently  to  be  dragged  by  main  force,  as  in  former  instances. 
All  now  longed  for  the  time  when  it  would  be  necessary  for 
them  to  commence  their  voyage  down  the  river.  Before  long 
their  ardent  wishes  were  realized.  At  the  end  of  two  months, 
on  the  22nd  of  February,  Sibbs  found  himself  only  fifty  miles 
above  Barraconda,  where  it  became  necessary  for  him  to 
relinquish  the  enterprise,  in  consequence  of  the  unfavourable 
season  having  arrived  ; so  that  he  did  not  even  reach  Tenda, 
the  point  to  which  Jobson  had  previously  attained. 

The  commander  of  the  expedition,  on  his  return,  could 
not  forbear  expressing  deep  disappointment  in  regard  to  the 
expectations  with  which  he  had  ascended  the  Gambia.  He 
had  met  with  no  cities  of  gold,  nor  did  he  see  any  appearance 
of  the  mighty  channel  which  was  to  lead  into  the  interior  of 
Africa,  and  through  so  many  great  kingdoms  as  had  been 
spoken  of.  He  declared  his  conviction,  in  reference  to  the 
river,  that  “ its  original  or  head  is  nothing  near  so  far  in  the 
country  as  by  the  geographers  has  been  represented.”  The 
natives  reported  that  at  twelve  days’  journey  above  Barraconda 
it  dwindled  into  a rivulet  so  small  that  “ fowls  walked  over  it.” 
Nor  did  he  find  any  indications  of  the  precious  metal  which  he 
had  been  led  to  believe  was  so  abundant.  These  representations 
produced  a degree  of  discouragement  which  prevented  any  other 
exploratory  voyage  from  being  undertaken  by  the  English  for  a 
considerable  time  into  that  part  of  the  African  continent. 

French  Discoveries. 

France  was  behind  some  of  the  other  nations  of  Europe  in 
maritime  enterprise  and  African  discovery  ; but  when  she  did 
wake  up  to  the  importance  of  the  subject,  she  displayed  con- 
siderable zeal  and  activity.  Louis  XIV.,  aided  by  his  minister 
Colbert,  was  the  first  prince  of  that  nation  who  endeavoured  to 
raise  his  kingdom  to  a high  rank  as  a commercial  and  maritime 
power,  and  it  was  not  long  before  Africa  attracted  his  notice. 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery, 


19 


Whilst  the  English  were  engaged  in  exploring  the  Gambia,  the 
French  turned  their  attention  to  the  Senegal.  In  their  esti- 
mation this  was  one  of  the  principal  outlets  of  the  Niger,  and 
the  mighty  stream  by  which  they  hoped  to  penetrate  the 
interior  as  far  as  Timbuctu  and  the  regions  of  gold.  About 
the  year  1626  a settlement  was  formed  on  an  island  near  the 
mouth  of  this  river,  to  which  was  given  the  name  of  St.  Louis,  in 
honour  of  their  sovereign,  and  it  has  ever  since  been  the  capital 
of  their  possessions  in  this  part  of  Africa.  It  has  also  been 
the  starting-point  of  every  French  expedition  which  has  been 
organized  for  the  exploration  of  the  interior  in  this  direction. 

The  first  person  who  brought  home  any  reliable  account  of 
the  French  colony  on  the  Senegal,  and  of  the  adjacent  country, 
was  a young  man  named  Jannequin.  The  manner  in  which  he 
became  an  African  explorer  is  somewhat  remarkable.  Walking 
along  the  quay  at  Dieppe  one  day,  he  saw  a vessel  bound  for 
the  west  coast ; and,  being  seized  with  a sudden  fancy  to  do 
so,  he  embarked  and  made  the  voyage.  The  ship  sailed  on 
the  5th  of  November,  1637,  and  touched  at  the  Canaries; 
but  the  first  spot  on  which  young  Jannequin  landed  on  the 
continent  was  a part  of  the  Sahara,  near  Cape  Blanco,  where 
nothing  presented  itself  to  view  but  a plain  of  moving  sand,  in 
which  the  feet  were  buried  at  every  step.  Proceeding  to  St. 
Louis,  on  the  Senegal,  he  found  the  colony  in  a very  rude  and 
imperfect  state  ; but  on  ascending  the  river  soon  afterwards  he 
was  delighted  \vith  the  brilliant  verdure  of  the  banks,  the  majes- 
tic beauty  of  the  trees,  and  the  thick  impenetrable  underwood. 
Wherever  he  landed  the  natives  received  him  hospitably,  and 
he  was  much  struck  with  their  strength  and  courage, — decidedly 
surpassing,  as  he  thought,  in  these  respects,  the  generality  of 
Europeans.  He  saw  a Moorish  chief,  who,  mounted  on  horse- 
back, and  brandishing  three  spears  and  a cutlass,  engaged  a 
lion  in  single  combat,  and  vanquished  the  mighty  king  of  the 
desert.  He  was  surprised  by  the  enormous  number  oi  gregrees, 
or  charms,  in  which  the  chief  and  head-men  were  enveloped. 
Every  peril — of  water,  of  wild  beasts,  and  of  battle — had  its 


20 


Africa:  Past  avd  P/esent.. 


appropriate  antidote,  by  which  the  safety  of  the  wearer  of  the 
charms  was  supposed  to  be  secured.  These  gregrees  were 
merely  slips  of  paper,  which  the  marabouts,  or  Mohammedan 
jrriests,  had  inscribed  with  sentences  from  the  Koran  in  Arabic 
characters  ; and,  being  enclosed  in  ornamented  cases  of  cloth, 
leather,  or  even  gold  and  silver,  were  hung  round  the  person  in 
such  profusion  that  they  actually  formed  a species  of  armour. 

Several  years  after  the  return  to  France  of  young  Jannequin, 
the  famous  Sieur  Brue  was  appointed  director-general  of  the 
Company’s  affairs,  and  exerted  himself  in  the  most  laudable 
manner  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  Senegal  settlements. 
He  also  did  exploring  work  which  is  worthy  of  a passing  notice. 
In  1697  he  embarked  at  St.  Louis  on  a voyage  to  the  Saratik, 
or  king  of  the  Foulahs,  whose  territory  lay  about  400  miles 
up  the  river.  In  ascending  the  stream  he  was  struck,  like  his 
predecessor,  with  the  magnificence  of  the  scenery.  He  saw 
elephants  marching  in  bands  of  forty  or  fifty,  and  large  herds 
of  wild  cattle  browsing  in  the  meadows.  These  moved  to  the 
highlands  when  the  lower  banks  of  the  river  were  inundated  in 
the  rainy  season.  At  Kahayde  the  traveller  was  received  by  a 
chief  belonging  to  the  Saratik,  accompanied  by  numerous 
attendants,  among  whom  were  his  principal  wife  and  daugh- 
ters, and  some  female  slaves,  all  mounted  upon  asses.  He 
was  cordially  welcomed  to  the  country  by  this  motley  retinue ; 
but  he  soon  discovered  their  avaricious  propensities,  and  he 
complains  that  “when  they  could  no  longer  secure  what 
they  wanted  by  begging  they  began  to  borrow,  with  the  firm 
resolution  of  never  repaying.” 

Brue  continued  to  ascend  the  Senegal  till  he  reached 
Ghiorel  \ then,  with  a party  of  armed  attendants,  and  accom- 
panied by  certain  royal  messengers,  he  set  out  for  Gumel,  about 
thirty  miles  distant,  where  the  king  resided.  He  found  the 
palace  to  consist  of  a cluster  of  mud  huts,  enclosed  by  a fence 
of  reeds ; and  in  one  of  these  he  was  introduced  to  his  sable 
majesty,  as  he  reclined  on  a couch,  surrounded  by  several  of 
his  wives  and  daughters,  seated  on  mats  spread  on  the  floor. 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  2 1 

The  reception  was  perfectly  friendly,  and  the  traveller  obtained 
permission  to  form  settlements  and  erect  forts  wherever  he 
thought  proper.  In  acknowledgment  of  these  favours  he 
presented  his  offerings  to  the  king,  consisting  of  scarlet  cloths, 
coloured  worsteds,  copper  kettles,  pieces  of  coral  and  amber, 
brandy,  spices,  and  a few  coins,  which  seemed  to  give  general 
satisfaction.  Having  satisfactorily  accomplished  the  immediate 
object  of  his  journey,  the  traveller  returned  to  St.  Louis. 

In  1698  the  same  gentleman  undertook  another  journey, 
with  the  intention  of  penetrating,  if  possible,  still  farther  into 
the  interior.  He  ascended  the  Senegal  as  before  as  far  as 
Ghiorel,  and  had  a friendly  interview  with  the  Saratik  whose 
acquaintance  he  had  formed  before,  and  four  of  whose  negroes 
he  employed  to  destroy  an  enormous  lion  which  had  for  some 
time  infested  the  neighbourhood.  Farther  on  he  observed 
some  peculiar  forms  of  the  animal  creation  ; the  air  for  two 
hours  was  darkened  by  the  passage  of  a cloud  of  locusts,  and  the 
boats  on  the  river  were  covered  with  their  filth.  Idons  and 
elephants  roamed  about  in  vast  numbers ; but  the  latter  were 
quite  tame  and  harmless,  unless  they  were  attacked. 

On  reaching  Gallam,  Brue  found  himself  in  a somewhat 
delicate  position.  Two  rival  princes  disputed  the  throne,  each 
holding  at  his  place  of  residence  a certain  sway,  but  both 
claiming  the  entire  homage  and  all  the  presents  brought  by  the 
traveller.  Guided  by  a principle  of  self-interest,  Brue  showed 
most  favour  to  the  personage  that  seemed  most  likely  to  aid 
him  in  the  object  of  his  journey,  when  his  rival  fell  into  a great 
rage  and  threatened  violence,  from  which  he  was  only  restrained 
by  being  reminded  of  the  big  guns  which  were  ready  for  action 
on  board  the  boats  in  the  river.  The  traveller  now  proceeded 
up  the  stream  till  he  came  to  Dramanet,  a thriving  native  town 
inhabited  by  several  wealthy  merchants,  who  traded  as  far  as 
Timbuctu,  which,  according  to  their  computation,  was  more 
than  a thousand  miles  farther  in  the  interior.  This  advanced 
position  was  therefore  thought  the  most  convenient  for  a settle- 
ment and  fort,  which  were  accordingly  established  on  a humble 


22 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


scale,  and  to  which  was  given  the  name  of  St.  Joseph.  This 
place  has  ever  since  been  the  head-quarters  of  the  French  on 
the  Upper  Senegal.  He  then  proceeded  to  a place  called  Felu, 
where  an  immense  rock,  crossing  the  river,  forms  a cataract, 
which  it  is  almost  impossible  for  vessels  to  pass.  Quitting  his 
boats,  he  proposed  to  ascend  to  the  falls  of  Govinea,  about 
eighty  miles  higher  up ; but  the  water  was  getting  so  low  that, 
fearing  the  navigation  downward  would  be  interrupted,  he 
returned  to  St.  Louis. 

Whilst  in  the  Upper  Senegal,  Brue  collected  much  useful 
information  in  reference  to  the  countries  and  peoples  beyond. 
He  received  glowing  accounts  of  the  kingdom  of  Bambarra,  of 
Lake  Maberia,  of  Timbuctu,  and  of  caravans  which  came  thither 
from  Barbary,  and  even  of  masted  vessels  which  had  been  seen 
on  the  mighty  streams  which  water  those  regions.  But  the  grand 
object  of  his  inquiry  was  the  course  of  the  Niger,  concerning 
which  he  heard  two  quite  opposite  descriptions.  According 
to  one  statement  it  flowed  westward  from  Lake  Maberia,  till 
it  separated  into  two  channels  for  the  Gambia  and  Senegal ; 
but  according  to  the  other  it  was  quite  distinct  from  both  of 
these  rivers,  and  wended  its  way  eastward  beyond  Timbuctu. 
The  latter  representation  was  subsequently  proved  to  be  the 
more  correct. 

The  trade  of  Gallam  and  the  adjacent  countries  on  the 
Upper  Senegal,  according  to  the  statements  of  Compagnon 
and  Saugnier,  both  of  whom  visited  these  regions  after  Brue’s 
day,  consists  principally  of  gold,  ivory,  slaves,  and  gum- 
arabic.  The  commodity  last  named  soon  became  the  most 
important  article  of  traffic  by  the  French  colonists,  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  obtained  is  thus  described  by  Golberry  ; 
— “ To  the  north  of  the  Senegal,  where  the  fertile  lands  pass 
into  the  boundless  and  arid  plains  of  the  great  Sahara,  grow 
large  forests  of  that  species  of  the  acacia  from  which  the  gum 
distils.  The  plant  is  crooked  and  stunted  in  its  growth,  re- 
sembling rather  a bush  than  a tree.  No  incision  is  necessary 
to  extract  the  precious  liquid ; for  under  the  influence  of  the 


pAi.i  s ni-  r.nviMA,  kivkh  SKNKr. \i.,  in  tmk  kmnv  si;\snN.  [I'n^e  72. 


i 


I 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


23 


hot  winds  which  prevail  in  these  parts,  the  bark  dries  and 
cracks  in  various  places,  whence  the  gum  exudes  and  forms 
itself  into  drops  as  clear  as  crystal.  At  the  proper  season  these 
are  collected  in  bags  by  the  natives,  and  exposed  for  sale  at 
an  annual  fair  held  on  the  banks  of  the  Senegal,  the  agents  of 
French  merchants  being  almost  the  only  purchasers.” 

British  African  Association. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  preceding  brief  sketches  of  African 
explorations  by  the  Portuguese,  English,  and  French,  that 
hitherto  comparatively  little  impression  had  been  made  upon 
the  vast  continent.  While  the  remotest  extremities  of  land 
and  sea  in  other  quarters  of  the  globe  had  been  reached  by 
British  enterprise.  Inner  Africa  remained  an  unseemly  blank 
in  the  map  of  the  world.  Such  a circumstance  was  felt  to  be 
discreditable  to  a great  maritime  and  commercial  nation  like 
England,  as  well  as  to  the  sciences  upon  which  geographical 
knowledge  depends.  With  a view,  if  possible,  to  remove  this 
reproach,  a number  of  spirited  individuals  formed  themselves 
into  what  was  termed  the  “African  Association.”  The  object 
of  this  Society  was  to  raise  the 'necessary  funds  by  subscription, 
and  then  to  seek  out  and  employ  suitable  persons  to  explore 
the  interior  of  Africa.  Lord  Rawdon,  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  the 
Bishop  of  Llandaff,  Mr.  Beaufoy,  and  Mr.  Stuart,  were  nomi- 
nated managers,  and  they  soon  found  themselves  in  a position 
to  proceed  to  business. 

The  first  adventurer  employed  under  the  auspices  of  this 
new  organization  was  Mr.  Ledyard,  who,  born  a traveller,  had 
spent  his  life  in  passing  from  one  extremity  of  the  earth  to 
another.  He  had  sailed  round  the  world  with  Captain  Cook, 
had  lived  several  years  among  the  American  Indians,  and  had 
made  a journey,  with  the  most  scanty  means,  from  Stockholm 
round  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia,  and  thence  to  the  remotest  parts 
of  Asiatic  Russia.  On  his  return  to  England  he  presented 
himself  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  to  whom  he  had  previously  been 
indebted  for  kind  attentions,  just  as  that  gentleman  was  looking 


24 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


out  for  an  African  traveller.  He  was  forthwith  engaged  for  the 
service ; and  on  being  asked  when  he  would  be  ready  to  set 
out,  he  promptly  replied,  “ To-morrow,” — an  answer  worthy  of 
being  noted  by  all  who  engage  in  important  undertakings  for 
the  benefit  of  mankind.  He  was  soon  afterwards  provided 
with  a passage  to  Alexandria,  in  Egypt,  with  a view  of  first 
proceeding  southward  from  Cairo  to  Sennaar,  and  thence  tra- 
versing the  entire  breadth  of  the  African  continent.  He  arrived 
at  the  Egyptian  capital  on  the  19th  of  August,  1788,  and,  while 
preparing  for  his  journey  into  the  interior,  transmitted  to  the 
Association  and  his  friends  at  home  an  amusing  description  of 
the  country  and  people.  By  conversing  with  the  Jelabs,  or 
slave  merchants,  he  learned  a good  deal  respecting  the  caravan- 
routes  and  the  countries  of  the  interior.  Everything  seemed 
ready  for  his  departure,  and  he  announced  to  his  friends  that 
his  next  communication  would  be  from  Sennaar.  But,  alas  ! 
this  was  not  the  case.  The  next  tidings  received  were  those 
of  his  death.  Disappointment,  occasioned  by  the  delay  of  the 
departure  of  the  caravan  with  which  he  had  engaged  to  travel, 
working  upon  his  ardent  and  impatient  spirit,  brought  on  a 
bilious  fever  which  terminated  fatally  before  he  left  Cairo. 

Previous  to  the  lamented  death  of  Ledyard,  the  Society  had 
entered  into  terms  with  Mr.  Lucas,  with  a view  to  his  attempting 
to  explore  the  interior  of  Africa  in  another  direction.  This 
gentleman  had  been  captured  in  his  youth  by  a Sallee  rover, 
had  served  three  years  as  a slave  at  the  court  of  Morocco, 
and  after  his  deliverance  had  acted  as  a British  vice-consul  in 
that  empire.  Having  altogether  spent  sixteen  years  there,  he 
had  not  only  become  inured  to  the  climate,  but  had  also 
acquired  an  intimate  knowledge  of  Africa  and  its  languages. 
He  was  consequently  regarded  as  peculiarly  eligible  for  the 
service  on  which  he  was  entering.  He  was  sent  out  by  way  of 
Tripoli,  with  instructions  to  accompany  a caravan  which  took 
the  most  direct  route  for  the  interior;  and  commenced  his 
journey  well  armed  with  passports  and  letters  of  introduction 
to  important  personages.  He  proceeded  with  the  caravan. 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


25 


according  to  arrangement,  to  Mesurata ; but  on  reaching  that 
place  he  found  the  Arabs  in  a state  of  rebellion,  and  unwilling 
to  furnish  camels  and  guides  for  the  intended  journey.  Mr. 
Lucas  was  therefore  obliged  to  return  to  Tripoli,  without 
penetrating  any  farther  into  the  continent,  and  the  enterprise 
was  relinquished. 

In  the  meantime  Major  Houghton,  who  had  resided  some 
time  as  consul  at  Morocco,  and  afterwards  in  a military  capa- 
city at  Goree,  undertook  to  reach  the  Niger  by  the  route  of  the 
Gambia;  not,  however,  like  Jobson  and  Sibbs,  by  ascending 
its  stream  in  boats,  but  by  travelling  singly  on  land.  He  com- 
menced his  journey  early  in  1791,  and  after  a short  time  spent 
at  Pisina  with  Dr.  Laidley,  he  pushed  forward  to  Medina,  the 
capital  of  Woolli,  on  the  Upper  Gambia,  where  a venerable 
native  chief  received  him  with  great  kindness,  offered  to  furnish 
him  with  guides,  and  assured  him  he  might  travel  in  safety  to 
Timbuctu  “ with  his  staff  in  his  hand.”  The  only  evil  that 
befel  the  traveller  there,  arose  from  a fire  which  accidentally 
took  place,  and  in  an  hour  reduced  a town  of  a thousand 
houses  to  a heap  of  ashes.  The  Major  ran  with  the  rest  of  the 
people  into  the  fields,  as  the  conflagration  spread,  saving  only 
a few  articles  that  he  was  able  to  carry  with  him.  Quitting  the 
Gambia  at  Fattatenda,  he  took  the  path  through  Bambouk,  and 
arrived  at  Ferbanna,  on  the  river  Faleme,  in  safety  Here  he 
met  w'ith  extraordinary  kindness  from  the  king,  who  furnished 
him  with  a guide  and  money  to  defray  his  expenses.  A note 
was  afterwards  received  from  him,  dated  Simbing,  and  which 
contained  merely  these  words ; “ Major  Houghton’s  compli- 
ments to  Dr.  Laidley ; is  in  good  health,  on  his  way  to 
Timbuctu;  robbed  of  all  his  goods  by  Fenda  Bucar’s  son.” 
This  was  the  last  communication  received  from  him ; for  ere 
long  some  negro  traders  brought  down  to  Pisina  the  melancholy 
tidings  of  his  death.  It  was  afterwards  ascertained  that  he  had 
been  stripped  of  all  that  he  possessed  by  a party  of  Moors, 
and  left  to  wander  about  in  a state  of  starvation,  till,  perfectly 
exhausted,  he  sat  down  under  a tree  and  expired. 


26 


Africa  : Pad  and  Present. 


Mungo  Park. 

The  British  African  Association  were  no  sooner  informed  of 
the  lamented  death  of  Major  Houghton  than  they  accepted  the 
services  of  Mr.  Mungo  Park,  a native  of  Scotland,  who  had 
been  regularly  bred  to  the  medical  profession,  and  had  just 
returned  from  a voyage  to  India.  The  committee  were  satisfied 
as  to  the  general  qualifications  of  this  gentleman  for  the 
important  work  on  which  he  was  about  to  enter,  though  they 
could  not  be  aware  of  the  full  extent  of  his  courage  and 
perseverance,  nor  of  the  unrivalled  eminence  to  which  as  an 
African  traveller  he  was  destined  to  rise. 

Park  set  sail  from  Portsmouth  on  the  22nd  of  May,  1795, 
and  on  the  21st  of  June  he  arrived  at  Jillifree,  on  the  river 
Gambia.  He  then  proceeded  to  Pisina,  in  the  fertile  kingdom 
of  Yani,  where  he  was  detained  five  months  by  illness  under 
the  hospitable  roof  of  Dr.  Laidley.  As  soon  as  the  fever 
abated,  and  he  became  convalescent,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  study  of  the  Mandingo  language,  and  at  the  same  time 
collected  much  valuable  information  from  the  native  traders 
respecting  the  interior.  On  the  2nd  of  December  he  again 
took  his  departure,  attended  only  by  a few  negro  servants. 
On  the  5th  he  reached  Medina,  where  the  good  old  king 
received  him  with  the  same  kindness  and  hospitality  that  he 
had  shown  to  Major  Houghton ; but  earnestly  exhorted  him 
to  take  warning  by  the  fate  of  that  adventurous  traveller,  and 
to  go  no  farther.  Park  was  not  to  be  thus  discouraged ; but 
immediately  proceeded  to  enter  the  great  forest  which  separates 
this  country  from  Bondou.  In  two  days  he  passed  through 
this  dreary  wilderness,  and  reached  the  district  just  mentioned, 
which  he  found  to  be  a fine  open  country  watered  by  the 
Faleme.  He  had  soon,  however,  to  encounter  some  of  the 
difficulties  which  await  the  lonely  and  defenceless  traveller 
in  a land  of  lawless  savages.  At  Fatteconda,  which  he  reached 
on  the  22nd  of  December,  he  was  obliged  to  wait  upon  the 
Almami,  or  king,  who  had  already  disgraced  himself  by  being 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


27 


a party  to  the  plunder  of  poor  Houghton.  Park  happily 
escaped  a similar  fate  by  taking  off  a handsome  blue  coat, 
with  bright  yellow  buttons,  which  was  greatly  admired,  and 
presenting  it  to  hie  sable  majesty. 

Another  forest  of  smaller  dimensions  intervened  between 
Bondou  and  Kajaaga,  which  the  traveller  crossed  by  moon- 
light, when  the  deep  silence  of  the  woods  was  interrupted  only 
by  the  howling  of  wolves  and  hyenas,  which  glided  like  shadows 
through  the  thickets.  Scarcely  was  he  arrived  at  Joag,  in 
Kajaaga,  when  a party  from  Bacheri,  the  king,  surrounded 
him,  and  declared  his  goods  forfeited  because  he  had  entered 
the  country  without  paying  the  duties.  Under  this  pretext 
he  was  stripped  of  all  he  had,  with  the  e.xception  of  a few 
trifling  articles  which  he  contrived  to  hide  about  his  person. 
Unable  to  procure  a meal,  he  was  sitting  disconsolate  under 
the  bentang  tree,  when  an  aged  female  slave,  aware  of  his 
forlorn  condition,  gave  him  several  handfuls  of  ground  nuts, 
and  instantly  went  away,  evidently  pleased  with  what  she  had 
done.  Our  adventurer  next  proceeded  to  Kooniakary,  the 
capital  of  Kasson,  where  he  was  well  received  by  the  king,  and 
forwarded  to  Kemmoo,  the  principal  town  of  Kaarta. 

The  following  few  weeks  in  the  eventful  life  of  Mungo  Park 
were  crowded  with  incidents  of  thrilling  interest,  even  to 
epitomise  which  would  be  impossible  in  the  limited  space 
assigned  to  this  portion  of  our  work.  It  must  suffice,  therefore, 
to  glance  at  a few  of  the  principal  of  them,  and  to  indicate 
the  manner  in  which  he  fared  during  the  remainder  of  this 
adventurous  journey.  The  country  through  which  he  passed 
was  largely  peopled  by  negroes ; but  the  enterprising  Moors, 
who  were  invariably  rigid  Mohammedans,  were  also  numerous. 
From  the  simple-minded  negroes  the  traveller  received  nothing 
but  kindness ; but  where  the  Moors  were  in  power,  which  was 
frequently  the  case,  he  was  bitterly  persecuted  and  ill-treated. 
At  Benown  he  was  detained  a prisoner  for  more  than  a fortnight, 
simply  to  gratify  the  curiosity  of  Fatima,  the  favourite  wife  of 
Ali,  the  Moorish  chief,  who  had  never  seen  a white  man  or  a 


28 


Afyica  : Past  and  Present. 


Christian  of  any  kind  before,  and  was  anxious  to  see  “ what 
kind  of  creatures  they  were.”  In  the  meantime,  until  her 
ladyship  arrived  from  a distance,  his  supply  of  food  was  very 
limited,  and  he  was  treated  with  the  utmost  indignity.  He  was 
made  to  button  and  unbutton  his  clothes  almost  perpetually,  to 
let  the  people  see  how  white  men  performed  this  operation,  as 
well  as  to  show  the  colour  of  his  skin  beneath  ; whilst  the  boys 
in  the  street  hooted  him  and  laughed  him  to  scorn.  He  was 
here  also  robbed  and  stripped  of  all  that  he  possessed,  with 
the  exception  of  his  pocket-compass,  of  which  his  tormentors 
seemed  afraid,  as  he  had  told  them  that  it  always  pointed  to 
the  place  where  his  mother  lived  ! 

On  the  other  hand,  when  he  had  escaped  from  the  cruel 
treatment  of  the  Moors,  on  this  and  on  subsequent  occasions, 
the  poor  negroes  commiserated  his  sufferings  and  supplied  his 
wants  according  to  their  means.  Many  striking  instances  of 
this  kind  are  given  in  the  interesting  narrative  which  has  been 
published  of  Park’s  travels  ; but  perhaps  the  most  touching 
was  the  one  which  occurred  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
capital  of  Bambarra,  when  he  was  reduced  to  the  lowest  state 
of  destitution.  Being  without  food  or  lodging,  turning  his 
jaded  horse  loose  to  graze,  he  was  preparing,  as  a security 
from  wild  beasts,  to  climb  a tree  and  sleep  among  the  branches, 
when  an  old  woman,  returning  from  the  labours  of  the  field, 
cast  on  him  a look  of  compassion,  and  desired  him  to  follow 
her.  She  led  him  to  an  apartment  in  her  hut,  procured  a fine 
fish,  which  she  broiled  for  his  supper,  and  spread  a mat  for  him 
to  sleep  upon ; ordering  her  maidens,  who  had  been  gazing  in 
fixed  astonishment  at  their  guest,  to  resume  their  tasks  of 
spinning  cotton,  which  they  continued  to  ply  through  a great 
part  of  the  night.  Meanwhile  they  cheered  their  labours  with 
a song,  which  must  have  been  composed  extempore,  since  Park, 
with  deep  emotion,  observed  that  he  himself  was  the  subject 
of  it.  It  said,  in  strains  of  affecting  simplicity — “ The  winds 
roared,  and  the  rains  fell.  The  poor  white  man,  faint  and 
weary,  came  and  sat  under  our  tree.  He  has  no  mother  to 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


2g 


bring  him  milk,  no  wife  to  grind  his  corn. — Chorus:  Let  us 
pity  the  white  man,  no  mother  has  he,”  etc.  The  traveller  was 
singularly  gratified  by  this  little  incident,  and  next  morning  he 
could  not  depart  without  requesting  his  landlady’s  acceptance 
of  the  only  gift  he  had  to  bestow — namely,  two  of  the  bright 
brass  buttons  that  still  remained  on  his  waistcoat. 

At  length,  on  the  21st  of  July,  1796,  after  passing  through 
innumerable  trials  and  hardships.  Park  was  favoured  to  behold 
the  grand  object  of  his  search,  the  river  Niger,  or,  as  it  was 
there  called,  the  Joliba  or  “Great  Water.”  He  had  passed  a 
sleepless  night  in  anticipation  of  this  great  event ; but,  starting 
before  daybreak,  he  had  th«»  satisfaction  at  eight  o’clock  to  see 
the  smoke  arising  from  the  town  of  Sego,  on  the  banks  of  the 
river.  He  soon  afterwards  overtook  some  other  travellers,  and, 
in  riding  through  a piece  of  marshy  ground,  one  of  them  called 
out,  '■'‘Geo  affilli”  (see  the  water),  and  looking  forward,  “I  saw,” 
says  he,  “ with  infinite  pleasure,  the  great  object  of  my  mission, 
the  long  sought-for  majestic  Niger,  glittering  to  the  morning  sun, 
as  broad  as  the  Thames  at  Westminster,  and  flowing  slowly  to  the 
eastward.  I hastened  to  the  brink,  and  having  drunk  of  the 
water,  offered  up  my  fervent  thanks  to  the  great  Ruler  of  all 
things,  for  having  thus  far  crowmed  my  endeavours  with  success.” 

Park  found  Sego,  the  capital  of  Bambarra,  to  be  a town 
containing  about  30,000  inhabitants,  and  a place  of  consider- 
able trade  and  commerce.  It  was  divided  into  four  parts,  two 
on  each  bank  of  the  river,  the  whole  being  entirely  under  the 
dominion  of  the  Moors,  who  manifested  considerable  jealousy 
concerning  the  movements  of  the  pale-faced  stranger.  Indeed, 
he  was  not  permitted  to  enter  the  city,  and  only  saw  it,  with  its 
whitewashed  mud  houses  and  numerous  mosques,  at  a distance. 
The  decision  of  Mansong,  the  ruling  chief  or  king,  conveying 
this  prohibition,  reached  the  traveller  after  he  had  been  waiting 
in  the  suburban  villages  for  several  days,  hoping  to  be  admitted 
to  the  royal  presence.  But  this  was  not  to  be.  He  therefore 
turned  his  face  westward,  hoping  to  reach  the  coast  by  the 
same  route  that  he  had  come. 


30 


Africa:  Past  and  P/esint. 


The  sufferings  of  our  adventurer  on  his  return  journey,  he 
being  in  a state  of  perfect  destitution,  were  appalling  to  con- 
template ; but  it  is  refreshing  to  find  him  turning  his  thoughts 
to  the  special  providence  of  God,  and  from  this  source  taking 
courage  when  almost  all  hope  was  gone.  On  one  occasion, 
being  completely  exhausted,  he  threw  himself  on  the  ground 
with  the  desponding  feeling  that  after  all  he  must  perish  in  the 
desert.  At  this  moment  a sprig  of  beautiful  moss,  in  a state  of 
fructification,  caught  his  eye,  the  delicate  conformation  of  which 
could  not  be  contemplated  without  admiration.  He  then 
bethought  himself,  “ Can  that  Being  who  planted,  watered, 
and  brought  to  perfection,  in  this  obscure  corner  of  the  world, 
a thing  which  appears  of  so  small  importance,  look  with  uncon- 
cern upon  the  situation  and  sufferings  of  creatures  formed  after 
His  own  image  ? ” Inspired  by  these  just  and  pious  reflections 
he  started  up,  went  on,  despite  fatigue,  and  found  deliverance 
to  be  nearer  than  he  had  any  reason  to  anticipate. 

It  is  doubtful,  however,  whether  Park  would  have  succeeded 
as  he  did  on  his  journey  westward,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
friendly  aid  afforded  him  by  the  conductor  of  a slave-koffel 
which  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  fall  in  with.  Having  the 
advantage  of  this  assistance  when  exposed  to  wild  beasts  and 
savage  men,  he  re  crossed  the  forest  of  Jallonka,  in  which  he 
and  the  caravan  travelled  five  days  without  seeing  a human 
habitation,  and  reached  Pisina  on  the  Gambia  in  safety,  on  the 
loth  of  June,  1797.  He  was  received  by  his  friends  there  as 
one  risen  from  the  dead ; for  all  the  traders  from  the  interior 
had  believed  and  reported  that  he  had  met  with  a similar  fate 
to  that  of  his  predecessor.  Major  Houghton,  and  perished  in 
the  deseit.  The  traveller  had  some  difficulty  in  reaching  home 
after  all.  No  direct  opportunity  for  England  offering,  he  was 
obliged  to  embark,  on  the  15th  of  June,  in  a vessel  bound 
for  America,  and  was  afterwards  driven  by  stress  of  weather 
to  Antigua,  in  the  West  Indies ; whence  he  sailed,  on  the  24th 
of  November,  for  Engla.nd,  and  landed  at  Falmouth  on  the 
22nd  of  December.  He  arrived  in  London  before  dawn  on 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  3 i 

Christmas  day,  and,  taking  a walk  in  the  garden  of  the  British 
Museum,  he  accidentally  met  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Dickson,  who,  in  common  with  his  other  friends,  rejoiced  over 
him  with  exceeding  joy,  having  long  since  concluded  he  was 
dead,  two  years  having  elapsed  since  any  tidings  of  him  had 
reached  England. 

Soon  after  his  return  to  England,  Mr.  Park  published  an 
interesting  narrative  of  his  first  journey,  and  of  the  discoveries 
which  he  had  made  in  the  interior  of  Africa.  This  was  read 
with  avidity  by  all  classes  j but,  so  far  from  satisfying  the  public 
curiosity,  it  only  excited  an  earnest  desire  for  more  information 
concerning  a continent  which  had  so  long  been  involved  in 
mystery.  The  majestic  Niger  had  been  seen  flowing  eastzcard, 
and  an  anxious  wish  was  everywhere  felt  that  its  course  might 
be  traced  to  the  sea,  and  that  Inner  Africa  might  be  more  fully 
laid  open  to  the  civilized  world.  With  these  objects  in  view, 
Mr.  Park  was  invited  by  Government  to  undertake  an  expedition 
on  a larger  scale  than  his  former  one,  and  with  more  ample 
resources  at  his  command.  Having  in  the  meantime  married 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  Anderson,  with  whom  he  had  served  his 
apprenticeship  as  a surgeon,  and  having  entered  with  some 
success  on  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  town  of  Peebles, 
it  was  thought  by  many  that,  content  with  laurels  so  dearly  won, 
he  had  renounced  a life  of  peril  and  adventure.  But  none  of 
these  ties  could  detain  him  when  the  spirit  of  adventure  was 
once  more  aroused  in  his  breast ; and  he  responded  to  the  call  of 
his  country  to  renew  his  African  explorations  with  characteristic 
ardour  and  enthusiasm.  His  plan  was  to  proceed  direct  to 
Sego — not  as  a lonely  defenceless  traveller,  as  before,  but  with  a 
company  of  men  armed  and  equipped  in  a manner  calculated 
to  secure  mutual  defence,  as  well  as  to  command  respect, 
wherever  they  travelled ; then  to  build  a boat  on  the  Niger  and 
navigate  the  stream  throughout  its  entire  course  to  the  sea. 

Park  sailed  from  Portsmouth  in  the  Crescent  transport  on 
the  20th  of  January,  1805,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Anderson,  his 
brother-in-law.  On  the  8th  of  March  they  arrived  at  Cape  Verd 


32 


Africa : Past  and  Preunt. 


Islands,  and  on  the  28th  they  reached  Goree.  There  they  were 
joined  by  a British  officer  and  thirty-five  soldiers,  and  they  pro- 
vided themselves,  moreover,  with  a number  of  asses,  of  a breed 
apparently  well  calculated  for  traversing  the  rugged  hills  of  the 
high  country  whence  issued  the  infant  streams  which  form  the 
source  of  the  Gambia,  Senegal,  and  Niger.  They  took  with 
them,  also,  two  sailors  and  four  artificers  who  had  been  sent 
from  England  to  join  the  expedition.  But  before  all  these 
arrangements  could  be  completed,  a month  had  elapsed,  and 
it  was  then  evident  that  the  rainy  season  could  not  be  far 
distant,  when  travelling  would  be  both  difficult  and  trying  to 
European  constitutions.  The  enterprising  traveller  hoped, 
however,  to  reach  the  Niger  by  the  middle  of  June,  when  the 
season  would  be  favourable  for  the  navigation  of  the  river.  He 
departed,  therefore,  with  his  heroic  band,  on  the  4th  of  May, 
and  proceeded  through  Medina,  along  the  banks  of  the  Gambia, 
on  the  same  route  he  had  traversed  before.  With  so  strong  a 
party,  he  was  no  longer  dependent  for  protection  upon  the 
petty  kings  of  the  countries  through  which  he  passed  ; but  the 
natives  seeing  him  so  well  provided  with  stores  seemed  to  think 
that  he  had  now  no  claim  upon  their  hospitality  ; and  they 
consequently  became  somewhat  exorbitant  in  their  demand  for 
presents.  Indeed,  at  one  place  the  women,  with  considerable 
labour,  had  emptied  the  wells,  that  they  might  sell  the  water  to 
the  strangers  to  greater  advantage. 

Submitting  quietly  to  these  little  annoyances.  Park  and  his 
party  pushed  on  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Satadoo,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Faleme.  It  was  there  that  they  experienced  the 
first  tornado  which  marked  the  commencement  of  the  rainy 
season.  This  proved  the  “beginning  of  sorrows,”  for  the 
country  was  soon  inundated,  and  one  after  another  of  the  party 
was  stricken  with  fever;  in  three  days  twelve  men  w'ere  on 
the  sick  list.  Seeing  the  strangers  thus  involved  in  difficulty, 
the  natives  became  more  troublesome  than  before,  and  at 
Gimba  attempts  w'ere  made  to  overpower  the  whole  expedition 
by  main  force,  and  seize  all  they  possessed;  but  by  merely 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


33 


presenting  their  muskets  the  assault  was  repelled  without  blood- 
shed. At  Maniakorra  the  whole  population  hung  on  their  rear 
for  a considerable  time,  headed  by  thirty  of  the  king’s  sons,  when 
one  man  stole  a fowling-piece  and  another  an  overcoat.  Orders 
were  now  given  to  fire  upon  all  depredators,  and  it  was  not  till 
severe  measures  had  been  adopted  that  the  thieves  were  dispersed. 

The  expedition  now  began  to  melt  away  in  the  most  appalling 
manner  beneath  the  deadly  influence  of  the  climate.  Every 
day  added  to  the  list  of  the  sick  or  the  dead,  or  of  those  who 
declared  themselves  unable  to  proceed  any  farther.  Near 
Bangassi  four  men  lay  down  at  once  ; and  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  Park  dragged  forward  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Anderson, 
who  was  suffering  from  extreme  weakness,  whilst  he  himself 
felt  very  sick  and  faint.  His  spirits  were  about  to  sink  entirely, 
when,  coming  to  an  eminence,  he  obtained  a distant  view  of  the 
mountains,  the  southern  base  of  which  he  knew  to  be  washed 
by  the  waters  of  the  Niger.  Then  indeed  he  forgot  his  troubles, 
and  thought  only  of  climbing  the  blue  hills,  the  sight  of  which 
delighted  his  eyes.  But  before  he  could  arrive  at  that  distant 
point  three  weeks  had  elapsed,  during  which  he  had  experienced 
the  greatest  difficulty  and  suffering.  At  length  he  reached  the 
summit  of  the  ridge  which  divides  the  Senegal  from  the  Joliba, 
and,  coming  to  the  brow  of  the  hill,  saw  again  the  majestic 
river  rolling  its  immense  stream  along  the  plain  below.  Yet 
his  situation  and  prospects ' were  gloomy  in  the  extreme,  com- 
pared with  those  with  which  he  had  left  the  banks  of  the 
Gambia  a few  weeks  before.  Of  thirty-eight  men  whom  he 
then  had  with  him,  there  survived  only  seven,  all  of  whom 
were  suffering  from  severe  illness,  and  some  nearly  at  the  last 
extremity.  Still  he  was  not  discouraged ; on  the  contrary,  his 
mind  was  full  of  the  most  sanguine  hope,  especially  when,  on 
the  22nd  of  August,  he  reached  the  river,  and,  having  hired 
canoes,  found  himself,  with  the  remnant  of  his  party,  floating 
on  his  favourite  stream  towards  Marraboo,  preparatory  to  his 
making  permanent  arrangements  for  the  voyage  down  the  river 
to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 


3 


34 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


After  tedious  and  protracted  negotiations  with  King  Mansong, 
Park  and  his  companions  succeeded  in  converting  two  large 
canoes,  supplied  by  his  sable  majesty,  into  a small  schooner, 
forty  feet  long,  six  broad,  and  drawing  only  one  foot  of  water, 
which  they  named  the  Joliba.  Whilst  these  operations  were 
going  on  at  Sansanding,  a large  town  a few  miles  to  the  north 
of  Sego,  the  traveller  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  brother- 
in-law,  Mr.  Anderson,  which  affected  him  much,  and  elicited 
from  him  the  following  touching  statement : “No  event  which 
took  place  during  the  journey  ever  threw  the  smallest  gloom 
over  my  mind  till  I laid  Mr.  Anderson  in  his  grave.  I then 
felt  myself  as  if  left  a second  time  lonely  and  friendless,  amid 
the  wilds  of  Africa.”  Although  the  party  was  now  reduced 
to  five  Europeans  and  a few  negroes,  the  mind  of  Park  was 
remarkably  firm  and  unshaken.  He  announced,  in  a letter  to 
Lord  Camden,  his  fixed  purpose  to  discover  the  termination 
of  the  Niger,  or  to  perish  in  the  attempt;  adding,  “Although 
all  the  Europeans  who  are  with  me  should  die,  and  although  I 
myself  were  half  dead,  I would  still  persevere.”  To  his  wife  he 
expressed  the  same  determination,  combined  with  a declaration 
of  the  utmost  confidence  of  success ; and  the  commencement 
of  his  voyage  down  the  Niger,  through  the  vast  unexplored 
regions  of  Central  Africa,  he  called  “ turning  his  face  towards 
England”  ! 

It  was  on  the  17th  of  November,  1805,  that  the  intrepid 
traveller  began  his  last  voyage.  He  passed  Jenne,  the  port 
of  Timbuctu,  Sackatoo,  and  other  populous  towns  on  the  banks 
of  the  Upper  Niger,  as  quickly  as  possible,  the  current  being  in 
his  favour ; and  the  expedition  was  soon  lost  sight  of  by  the 
natives  of  those  regions.  After  the  departure  of  Park  and  his 
party  from  Sansanding,  nothing  was  heard  of  them  in  England 
or  in  the  settlements  on  the  coast  for  more  than  a year,  with 
the  exception  of  certain  unpleasant  rumours  as  to  their  fate 
which  came  to  hand  at  intervals.  Alarmed  by  these,  and 
feeling  a deep  interest  in  the  expedition.  Governor  Maxwell 
of  Sierra  Leone  employed  a negro  interpreter  named  Isaaco, 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery,  35 

who  liad  formerly  belonged  to  Park’s  expedition,  and  who  had 
been  sent  to  the  Gambia  with  despatches  from  the  Niger,  to 
undertake  a journey  of  inquiry  as  to  what  had  become  of  the 
exploring  party. 

At  Sansanding  Isaaco  was  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  with 
Amidi  Fatu,  who  had  been  engaged  to  succeed  him  as  inter- 
preter to  the  expedition,  and  who  sailed  with  Park  and  his 
party  down  the  river.  According  to  this  man’s  statement,  the 
schooner  Joliba  proceeded  all  right  till  she  came  to  the  town 
of  Yaour,  where  he  left  her,  his  services  having  been  only 
engaged  to  that  point that  the  king  of  that  place  was  very 
angry  because  the  English  had  passed  his  place  without  making 
him  any  presents,  whilst  they  had  thus  honoured  persons  much 
inferior  to  him  in  rank  and  position ; that  to  avenge  the  insult 
the  sable  monarch  had  despatched  a party  of  warriors  to 
intercept  and  massacre  the  travellers,  and  take  possession  of 
their  goods,  before  they  should  pass  beyond  his  dominions 
This  wicked  purpose  Amidi  declared  they  accomplished  at  a 
place  called  Bousa,  where  the  river  is  contracted  to  a narrow 
pass,  with  overhanging  rocks  on  either  side,  where  the  savages 
stationed  themselves,  and  hurled  stones,  spears,  and  other 
missiles  on  the  unfortunate  voyagers  below,  till  they  al  sank 
in  the  waves  to  rise  no  more.  The  substantial  correctness  of 
this  account  was  verified  by  subsequent  inquiries;  and  thus 
ended  an  expedition  which  had  excited  the  most  sanguine 
hopes  in  the  interests  of  African  discovery. 

Sundry  Travellers. 

It  has  been  thought  best  to  trace,  without  interruption,  the 
eventful  career  of  Mungo  Park  from  its  promising  commence- 
ment to  its  melancholy  close.  But  between  his  first  and  second 
journeys,  another  expedition  was  planned  and  sent  out  under 
favourable  auspices,  which  now  demands  our  attention,  as  do 
others  also  which  followed  soon  afterwards.  In  1797  Frederic 
Horneman,  a student  of  the  University  of  Gottingen,  offered 
his  services  to  the  British  African  Association,  proposing  to 


36 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


penetrate  the  interior  of  the  vast  continent  in  the  guise  of  an 
Arab,  and  as  a professed  Moslem — a species  of  deception  not 
to  be  commended.  He  reached  London  in  the  month  of 
May,  and  having  been  accepted,  made  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions for  his  journey,  embarked  for  Egypt,  and  arrived  at 
Alexandria  in  September.  After  spending  ten  days  there 
studying  the  language  of  the  Mograbin  Arabs,  a tribe  border- 
ing on  the  Nile,  he  set  out  for  Cairo,  to  await  the  departure 
of  the  Kashan  caravan,  with  which  he  proposed  to  travel. 
Before  his  departure,  however,  tidings  arrived  of  Buonaparte’s 
landing  in  the  country,  when  the  just  indignation  of  the  natives 
vented  itself  upon  all  Europeans,  and  among  others  the  German 
traveller  was  thrown  into  prison.  He  was  liberated,  however, 
on  the  victorious  entry  into  the  capital  of  the  French  com- 
mander, who,  besides  restoring  him  to  freedom,  provided  him 
with  money  and  everything  necessary  for  the  prosecution  of  his 
mission. 

It  was  the  5th  September,  1798,  before  Horneman  could  find 
a caravan  proceeding  westward;  when  he  joined  the  one  destined 
for  Fezzan.  The  travellers  soon  passed  the  cultivated  land  of 
Egypt,  and  entered  upon  a vast  sandy  desert.  When  the 
caravan  halted  for  the  night,  each  person  dug  a hole  in  the 
sand,  gathered  a few  sticks,  and  prepared  his  victuals  after 
the  African  fashion  of  kouskous,  soups,  or  puddings.  Ten 
days  brought  the  travellers  to  Ummesogeir,  a small  oasis  in 
the  desert,  with  a village  built  upon  a rock,  containing  about 
120  inhabitants.  Another  day’s  journey  brought  them  to 
Siwah,  a more  extensive  settlement ; after  which  they  entered 
upon  a more  dreary  and  desolate  waste  than  they  had  seen 
before,  w’hich  took  them  sixteen  days  to  traverse.  At  the 
end  of  this  period  they  were  cheered  by  the  appearance  of 
the  great  oasis  which  constitutes  the  small  kingdom  of  Fezzan, 
where  the  arrival  of  the  caravan  was  hailed  with  demonstrations 
of  joy  by  all  classes  of  the  community,  from  the  sultan  to  the 
meanest  slave.  Horneman  remained  at  Mourzouk,  the  capital 
of  Fezzan,  for  a long  time  before  he  met  with  a caravan  for  the 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  37 

south,  and  in  the  interim  he  took  a journey  to  Tripoli  to 
forward  despatches  to  England.  After  his  return  to  Mourzouk, 
and  his  detention  for  several  months  longer  by  illness,  he  took 
his  final  departure  for  the  interior  on  the  6th  of  April,  1800,  in 
company  with  two  shereefs  who  had  given  him  assurances  of 
friendship  and  protection.  His  letters  written  previous  to  his 
starting  were  expressive  of  the  most  sanguine  hopes  of  success. 
But  the  lapse  of  two  years  without  any  further  tidings  of  him 
threw  a damp  on  the  cheering  expectations  which  had  been 
raised  in  the  minds  of  the  members  of  the  Association  and 
the  public  generally.  In  1803  various  reports  reached  Fez^an 
and  Tripoli  to  the  effect  that  Yusuph,  as  Horneman  chose  to 
designate  himself,  had  been  seen  alive  at  Kashan  a short  time 
before;  but  from  information  collected  by  subsequent  travellers, 
it  appeared  that  he  succeeded  in  travelling  into  the  interior  of 
Africa  as  far  as  Nyffe,  on  the  Niger,  where  he  fell  a victim  not 
to  any  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  natives,  as  was  at  first  feared, 
but  to  disease  induced  by  the  trying  character  of  the  climate. 

The  next  person  engaged  as  an  African  traveller  by  the 
British  Association  was  Mr.  Nicholls,  who,  in  1804,  repaired 
to  Calabar,  in  the  Gulf  of  Benin,  with  the  view  of  penetrating 
into  the  interior  of  Africa  by  this  route,  which  appeared  shorter 
than  any  other;  but  without  any  idea  of  the  Niger  having  its 
principal  outlets  in  that  neighbourhood,  which  was  afterwards 
proved  to  be  the  case.  He  was  well  received  by  the  chiefs  on 
the  coast ; but  he  could  not  gain  from  them  much  information 
about  the  neighbouring  rivers,  or  the  character  of  the  country 
inland.  Unfortunately,  of  all  the  sickly  climates  of  Africa,  that 
of  the  Gulf  of  Benin  is  about  the  worst,  and  before  he  had 
fairly  commenced  his  journey,  poor  Nicholls  fell  a victim  to 
the  epidemic  fever  so  prevalent  on  the  coast  in  the  rainy 
season.  He  died  before  he  had  proceeded  many  miles  on 
his  intended  journey. 

Shortly  after  this  another  German,  named  Roentgen,  recom- 
mended to  the  Association  by  Professor  Blumenbach,  undertook 
to  penetrate  to  the  interior  of  Africa  by  way  of  Morocco.  Like 


38 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Horneman,  he  made  himself  master  of  Arabic,  and  proposed 
to  pass  through  the  country  as  a Mohammedan.  He  set  out 
in  1809  ; and,  having  arrived  at  Mogadore,  he  hired  two  guides 
and  proceeded  to  join  the  Soudan  caravan ; but  his  career  was 
short  indeed,  for  his  body  was  soon  afterwards  found  not  far 
from  the  place  whence  he  started.  No  infonnation  could  ever 
be  obtained  with  regard  to  the  particulars  of  his  death,  though 
it  was  conjectured,  with  too  much  probability,  that  he  had  been 
murdered  for  the  sake  of  his  property. 

The  next  account  of  African  exploration  was  furnished  by  a 
man  named  Adams,  a sailor,  who  was  said  to  have  been  wrecked 
with  several  others  on  board  an  American  vessel  which  struck 
on  the  rocky  coast  of  the  great  Sahara,  on  the  nth  of  October, 
1810.  The  men  who  swam  on  shore  were  soon  after  daylight 
attacked  by  a band  of  Moors.  The  captain,  who  offered  violent 
resistance,  was  killed,  but  the  crew  were  taken  prisoners  and 
divided  among  the  barbarians.  Adams,  one  of  the  mariners, 
according  to  his  own  statement,  was  carried  to  the  border  of 
Bambarra,  where  the  Mussulmen,  his  masters,  who  by  their 
practice  of  slave-stealing  had  roused  the  hostility  of  the  negroes, 
were  surprised,  made  captive,  and,  after  four  days’  confinement, 
marched  to  Timbuctu.  Adams  says  that  his  fierce  companions, 
on  being  presented  to  the  king,  were  thrown  into  prison ; but 
he  himself  being  regarded  as  a curiosity,  from  the  circumstance 
of  his  being  a white  man,  was  retained  in  the  palace,  where  he 
became  a favourite  with  the  queen,  w'ho  used  to  sit  gazing  at 
him  for  hours  together.  He  had  been  at  Timbuctu  about  six 
months,  well  treated  and  even  caressed,  when  a party  of  Moorish 
traders  arrived,  w’ho  ransomed  their  countrymen  and  Adams 
along  with  them. 

The  caravan  which  Adams  and  his  associates  joined  on  leaving 
Timbuctu  travelled  towards  Morocco;  and,  after  a weary  journey 
of  forty-two  days  across  the  sandy  desert,  during  which  they 
suffered  much  from  extreme  heat  and  want  of  water,  they  came 
to  Wedinoon,  where  the  American  met  with  some  of  his  ship- 
mates, who,  together  with  himself,  were  ransomed  from  the 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  39 

Moors  and  liberated  by  the  kind  and  humane  interposition  of 
M.  Dupuis,  the  British  consul  at  Mogadore.  Adams  proceeded 
thence  to  London,  with  a view  of  obtaining  a passage  to  America, 
and  was  found  in  the  streets  of  the  metropolis  by  a gentleman 
who  took  a deep  interest  in  African  affairs,  and  who  commu- 
nicated the  circumstance  to  the  secretary  of  the  Association. 
Adams  was  then  strictly  examined,  and  his  statement  taken 
down  in  writing;  and  M.  Dupuis,  the  consul,  who  happened 
to  be  in  England,  confirmed  the  general  facts  of  his  shipwreck 
and  captivity.  Allowing  for  lapse  of  memory,  and  perhaps  a 
little  exaggeration,  the  narrative  of  this  adventure  was  admitted 
to  be  substantially  accurate  in  its  main  features,  and  to  have 
added  something  to  the  knowledge  previously  possessed  of  the 
interior  of  Africa. 

Another  contribution  of  a similar  kind  was  made  some  time 
afterwards  by  Mr.  James  Riley,  supercargo  of  the  American 
brig  Commerce^  which  was  wrecked  near  Cape  Bojador,  when 
on  a voyage  from  Gibraltar  to  Cape  Verd  Islands.  The  crew 
escaped  safe  to  shore  when  the  vessel  ran  aground ; but,  on 
landing,  they  were  assailed  by  a band  of  armed  natives,  whose 
appearance  indicated  the  utmost  degree  of  poverty  and  ferocity. 
They  began  forthwith  an  indiscriminate  plunder  of  the  wreck, 
which  was  near  to  the  shore — emptying  trunks,  boxes,  and 
casks,  cutting  up  beds,  and  amusing  themselves  with  seeing 
the  feathers  flying  before  the  wind.  The  sailors  in  the  mean- 
time were  endeavouring  to  patch  up  the  long  boat  as  a means 
of  escape.  In  this  they  at  length  pushed  out  to  sea,  but  were 
soon  obliged  to  land  again,  when  they  fell  into  the  hands  of 
another  band  of  savage  Moors,  who  took  them  captives,  divided 
their  living  booty  among  them,  and  proceeded  on  their  journey. 

The  sufferings  of  Riley  were  so  great  that  he  almost  regretted 
the  life  he  had  saved,  till  he  met  with  Sidi  Hamet,  a respectable 
caravan  merchant,  who  offered  to  purchase  him,  and  who, 
in  bargaining  for  his  person,  showed  much  sympathy  for  his 
unhappy  situation,  and  undertook  to  conduct  him  to  Mogadore 
provided  he  were  made  sure  of  a good  ransom.  The  American 


40 


Ajrua  : Past  and  Present. 


encouraged  him  in  the  hope  of  this,  and  had  soon  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  two  blankets,  a cotton  robe,  and  a bundle  of  ostrich- 
feathers,  paid  down  as  the  stipulated  price.  He  prevailed  upon 
the  Mussulman  to  purchase  his  companions  also ; after  which 
they  set  out  together  to  cross  the  desert  with  their  master  and 
deliverer.  They  had  a very  painful  journey  to  perform,  riding 
with  the  utmost  rapidity  on  the  naked  backs  of  camels  over 
hills  of  loose  sand,  whilst  the  air  was  filled  with  flying  particles 
of  the  same  substance.  Not  trusting  entirely  to  the  professed 
generosity  of  his  Mussulman  master,  Riley,  having  an  oppor- 
tunity of  communicating  with  Morocco,  procured  a reed  for  a 
pen,  and  some  black  substance  to  serve  as  ink,  wrote  a pathetic 
representation  of  himself  and  his  companions,  and  addressed 
it  “to  the  consuls  or  to  any  Christians”  who  might  happen  to 
be  at  Mogadore.  After  eight  days  of  dreadful  suspense  a letter 
arrived,  which  proved  to  be  from  Mr.  Wiltshire,  the  English 
consul,  couched  in  the  most  sympathizing  terms,  and  assuring 
the  sufferers  that  a ransom  would  be  provided.  This  promise 
was  faithfully  performed ; and  the  supercargo  and  his  com- 
panions, on  reaching  the  capital  of  Morocco,  met  with  a hearty 
welcome  at  the  British  consulate,  and  were  soon  restored  to 
liberty  and  to  their  friends. 

Although  Riley  saw  little  of  the  interior  of  Africa  beyond 
the  dreary  desert  in  which  he  travelled,  he  collected  a good 
deal  of  information  from  Sidi  Hamet,  who  professed  to  have 
been  to  Wassanah,  Timbuctu,  and  other  populous  towns  on  the 
banks  of  the  Niger,  which  he  described  with  great  minuteness. 
The  information  thus  obtained  was  duly  noted  down,  and  com- 
municated to  the  secretary  of  the  African  Association  for  future 
guidance. 

Tuckey  and  Peddie. 

The  melancholy  fate  of  Mungo  Park  and  the  other  adventu- 
rous travellers,  who  fell  in  the  cause  of  African  discovery  at  an 
early  period  of  the  enterprise,  did  not  damp  the  ardent  desire 
of  the  Briiish  public  for  still  further  information  concerning  the 
interior  of  the  great  continent.  As  a strong  impression  existed 


/ 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


41 


in  many  minds  that,  on  further  examination,  the  rivers  Congo 
and  Niger  would  prove  identical,  two  large  and  important  expe- 
ditions were  planned  under  the  auspices  of  Government,  which 
were  intended  to  decide  this  question.  One  was  to  ascend  the 
Congo,  and  the  other  was  to  descend  the  Niger,  with  the  hope 
of  a triumphant  meeting  in  the  interior.  The  Congo  expedition 
was  entrusted  to  Captain  Tuckey,  an  officer  of  distinguished 
merit  and  varied  service.  He  was  accompanied  by  a crew  of 
about  fifty  men,  including  marines  and  mechanics,  together  with 
a botanist,  a geologist,  a zoologist,  and  a gardener.  They  sailed 
from  Deptford  on  the  i6th  of  February,  1816,  and  reached 
Malemba,  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  on  the  30th  of  June. 
A few  days’  further  sailing  brought  the  English  into  the  channel 
of  the  Congo,  which,  to  their  great  disappointment,  instead  of 
exhibiting  the  immense  size  they  had  been  taught  to  expect, 
scarcely  appeared  a river  of  the  second  class.  The  stream,  it 
is  true,  was  then  at  the  lowest,  and  the  depth  being  still  more 
than  150  fathoms,  it  was  impossible  to  estimate  the  mass  of 
water  it  might  convey  to  the  ocean.  The  banks  were  swampy 
and  overgrown  with  mangrove  trees,  and  the  deep  silence  and 
solitude  of  these  extensive  forests  made  a profound  impression 
on  the  minds  of  the  travellers. 

After  sailing  between  ridges  of  high  rocky  hills  for  several 
miles,  the  expedition  came  to  Yellala,  or  the  Great  Cataract,  the 
magnitude  of  which  fell  far  below  their  expectations.  Yet  this 
obstruction  rendered  it  quite  impossible  for  boats  to  pass 
upwards,  nor  could  they  be  carried  across  the  deep  ravines  by 
which  the  country  was  here  intersected.  The  explorers  were 
therefore  obliged  to  proceed  by  land  through  this  difficult  and 
rugged  region,  which,  without  a guide,  was  a work  attended 
with  overwhelming  toil.  At  length  the  country  improved  and 
became  more  level  and  open,  whilst  the  river  was  wider,  and 
the  obstacles  to  its  navigation  gradually  disappeared.  But  just 
as  the  enterprise  began  to  assume  a prosperous  and  promising 
aspect,  indications  of  its  fatal  termination  manifested  them- 
selves. The  health  of  the  party  began  gradually  to  give  way 


42 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


under  the  effects  of  fatigue  from  over-exertion,  as  well  as  from 
the  malignant  influence  of  an  atmosphere  at  once  moist  and 
burning.  Messrs.  Tudor,  Cranch,  Galwey,  and  Smith  were 
successively  obliged  to  return  to  the  ship;  and  Captain  Tuckey, 
after  struggling  for  some  time  against  the  increasing  pressure 
of  disease  and  exhaustion,  as  well  as  the  accumulating  difficul- 
ties of  the  expedition,  saw  the  necessity  of  putting  a stop  to 
its  farther  progress.  On  rejoining  the  vessel,  the  commander 
witnessed  a heartrending  scene.  The  four  scientific  gentlemen 
just  mentioned  were  no  more,  having,  one  after  another, 
succumbed  to  the  fever  of  the  country ; and  most  of  the  crew 
were  so  ill  as  to  be  quite  unfit  for  service.  On  the  4th  of 
October  Captain  Tuckey  himself  added  one  more  to  the  number 
of  the  dead,  and  the  enterprise  was  forthwith  relinquished. 

Meanwhile  the  other  expedition,  under  Major  Peddie,  whose 
instructions  led  him  to  strike  across  the  country,  and,  if  possible, 
to  descend  the  Niger,  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Senegal. 
Instead  of  the  beaten  track  along  the  banks  of  that  river,  or  of 
the  Gambia,  he  preferred  a new  route  through  the  country  of 
the  Foulahs,  which  appeared  shorter  and  in  other  respects  more 
eligible.  On  the  17th  of  November,  1816,  he  sailed  from  the 
Senegal,  and  on  the  14th  of  December  the  party,  consisting  of 
100  men  and  200  animals,  landed  at  Kakundy,  on  the  Rio 
Nunez;  but  before  they  could  begin  their  march  inland,  the 
Major  was  attacked  with  fever  and  died.  Captain  Campbell, 
on  whom  the  command  now  devolved,  proceeded  in  the  line 
proposed  till  he  arrived  at  a small  river  called  the  Panietta,  on 
the  frontier  of  the  Foulah  territory.  By  this  time  many  of  the 
beasts  of  burden  had  perished,  and  great  difficulty  was  found 
in  obtaining  a sufficient  quantity  of  provisions  for  the  men. 
At  length  their  circumstances  became  such  as  to  place  them 
under  the  absolute  necessity  of  returning;  and,  all  their  animals 
being  dead,  they  were  obliged  to  hire  natives  to  carry  their 
baggage, — an  expedient  which  gave  occasion  to  much  pillage. 
They  reached  Kakundy  with  the  loss  only  of  Mr.  Kummer, 
the  naturalist,  on  the  way ; but  Captain  Campbell,  overcome 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


43 


by  sickness  and  fatigue,  died  two  days  afterwards,  on  the  13th 
of  February,  1817.  The  superintendence  of  the  enterprise  was 
then  transferred  to  Lieutenant  Stokoe,  a spirited  young  naval 
officer,  who  had  joined  the  expedition  as  a volunteer.  He 
formed  a new  scheme  for  proceeding  into  the  interior ; but 
unhappily,  before  anything  further  could  be  done,  he  also  sank 
under  the  effects  of  the  climate,  and  the  undertaking  was 
abandoned. 


Gray  and  Laing. 

The  sentence  of  death  now  seemed  pronounced  against  all 
who  should  attempt  to  penetrate  the  African  continent ; and 
yet  there  were  some  daring  spirits  who  did  not  shrink  from  the 
undertaking.  Captain  Gray,  of  the  Royal  African  Corps,  who 
had  accompanied  the  expedition  the  fate  of  which  has  just  been 
narrated,  undertook,  in  the  year  1818,  to  perform  a journey  to 
the  interior  along  the  more  frequented  banks  of  the  Gambia. 
He  arrived  without  any  obstacle  at  Boolibani,  the  capital  of 
Bondou,  on  the  20th  of  June.  There  he  remained  for  eleven 
months ; and  although  anxious  to  go  on,  through  the  jealousy 
of  the  sable  monarch  he  was  not  permitted  to  proceed  any 
farther  in  that  direction.  With  some  difficulty  he  reached 
Gallam,  where  he  met  Staff-surgeon  Dockard,  who  had  gone 
forward  to  Sego,  to  ask  permission  to  pass  through  Bam- 
barra, — a request  which  had  also  been  evaded.  The  whole 
party  then  returned  to  the  Senegal,  and  the  undertaking  was 
relinquished. 

In  1821  Major  Laing  was  sent  on  a mission  from  Sierra 
Leone,  through  the  Timannee,  Kooranko,  and  Soolima  coun- 
tries, with  the  view  of  making  commercial  arrangements  with 
the  native  chiefs,  in  the  interests  of  the  colony.  On  this  journey 
he  collected  information  which  led  him  to  believe  that  the 
source  of  the  Niger  lay  much  farther  to  the  south  than  Park 
had  supposed.  At  Falaba  he  was  assured  that  it  might  have 
been  reached  in  three  days,  had  not  the  Kissi  nation,  in  whose 
territory  it  was  situated,  been  at  war  with  the  Soolimanas,  with 


44 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


whom  the  Major  then  resided.  He  was  inclined  to  fix  the 
source  of  the  great  river  a very  little  above  the  ninth  degree 
of  north  latitude. 

Ritchie  and  Lyon. 

Through  the  judicious  conduct  of  Mr.  Warrington,  the 
British  consul  of  Tripoli,  the  Bashaw  was  induced  to  cultivate 
the  friendship  of  the  British  Government ; and,  as  he  held 
constant  communication  with  Bornou  and  other  populous  states 
in  the  interior  of  Africa  through  his  tributary  kingdom  of  Fezzan, 
it  was  thought  a favourable  opportunity  to  try  once  more  an 
exploratory  expedition  in  that  direction.  Encouraged  by  the 
British  Government  and  the  African  Association,  Mr.  Ritchie, 
a young  man  of  scientific  acquirements  and  zeal  for  discovery, 
undertook  the  direction  of  a new  adventure.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  Lieutenant  Lyon,  who,  as  a naval  officer,  was  expected 
to  be  useful  in  navigating  the  Niger,  if  they  should  succeed  in 
reaching  that  river.  These  gentlemen  were  well  received  at 
Tripoli,  and  set  out  on  the  22nd  of  March,  1819,  for  Fezzan, 
with  Mukni,  the  sultan,  who  gave  them  the  most  solemn 
assurances  of  protection.  This  chief,  however,  was  a ruffian 
who  had  made  his  way  to  power  by  the  massacre  of  the  late 
sovereign,  and  was  at  that  time  extensively  engaged  in  the 
accursed  slave  trade.  Under  a guardianship  so  inauspicious, 
the  travellers  could  hardly  expect  that  support  of  which  they 
stood  in  need,  and  they  soon  found  themselves  involved  in 
trouble. 

Mourzouk,  the  capital  of  Fezzan,  proved  extremely  unhealthy, 
being  intensely  hot  and  surrounded  by  pools  of  stagnant  water, 
which  rendered  even  the  natives  liable  to  fever  and  ague.  The 
members  of  the  expedition  soon  felt  its  effec'.s.  Lieutenant  Lyon 
being  seized  with  dysentery,  and  Mr.  Ritchie  with  bilious  fever, 
under  which  they  languished  during  the  whole  summer.  At 
the  same  time  they  suffered  from  other  causes.  The  treacherous 
Mukni  not  only  withheld  all  aid,  but  he  studiously  prevented 
others  from  giving  them  assistance.  At  length  Mr.  Ritchie, 


45 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery. 

the  chief  of  the  mission,  overwhelmed  with  disease  and  anxiety, 
died  on  the  20th  of  November,  1819,  after  which  Mr.  Lyon 
found  himself  without  the  means  of  penetrating  farther  than 
to  the  southern  frontier  of  Fezzan.  With  such  information  as 
he  was  able  to  collect  he  returned  to  England,  and  the  enter- 
prise came  to  an  end. 

Denham  and  Clapperton. 

The  misfortunes  which  had  befallen  previous  expeditions  did 
not  deter  the  British  Government  and  the  friends  of  the  negro 
race  from  making  further  efforts  to  explore  the  interior  of  Africa. 
The  friendly  feeling  which  existed  between  the  English  and 
the  court  of  Tripoli,  through  the  continued  kindly  influence 
of  Mr.  Warrington,  the  British  consul  there,  suggested  the  idea 
of  another  attempt  in  that  direction  ; and  Major  Denham, 
Lieutenant  Clapperton,  and  Dr.  Oudney  were  engaged  for  the 
service.  Without  delay  they  embarked  for  Tripoli,  where  they 
arrived  on  the  i8th  of  November,  1821.  They  were  imme- 
diately introduced  to  the  Bashaw  or  reigning  monarch,  who 
received  them  very  graciously ; and,  fortified  with  recommen- 
dations to  the  sultan  of  Fezzan,  they  entered  upon  their  long 
and  dreary  pilgrimage  to  Mourzouk,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
8th  of  April,  1822.  This  prince  received  them  with  affability, 
but  gave  himself  very  little  trouble  in  making  provision  for  the 
prosecution  of  their  journey,  as  they  had  been  led  to  expect 
he  would  do.  He  even  intimated  his  intention  of  visiting 
Tripoli,  and  the  necessity  of  their  remaining  stationary  till  his 
return.  This  arrangement  was  most  disheartening  to  the  travel- 
lers ; nor  did  they  know  what  reliance  to  place  in  the  sincerity 
of  Boo  Khalloom,  a great  merchant  who  had  invited  them  to 
accompany  him  with  an  expedition  which  he  was  preparing  for 
Soudan. 

After  a visit  of  the  parties  just  mentioned  to  Tripoli,  on  the 
30th  of  October  they  returned  to  Mourzouk,  when  the  Major 
was  much  concerned  to  find  both  Lieutenant  Clapperton  and 
Dr.  Oudney  prostrate  with  sickness ; one  suffering  from  ague 


46 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


and  fever  which  had  confined  him  to  his  bed  for  fifteen  days, 
and  the  other  from  a severe  attack  in  the  chest.  Invalids  so 
severely  afflicted  were  not  very  fit  to  begin  a long  and  laborious 
journey  across  the  desert ; but  their  ardour  was  extreme,  and, 
imagining  that  a change  of  air  would  be  beneficial,  they  resolved 
to  proceed.  On  the  29th  of  November  the  caravan  started  off, 
escorted  by  nearly  every  inhabitant  of  Mourzouk  who  could 
hire  or  borrow  a horse.  The  expedition,  besides  the  English, 
comprised  210  Arabs,  ranged  in  tens  and  twenties  under  different 
chiefs.  The  caravan  arrived  in  due  time  at  Traghan,  a small 
town  containing  a carpet  manufactory.  Leaving  this  station, 
they  were  soon  in  the  heart  of  the  desert,  where  they  passed 
whole  days  without  seeing  a living  thing,  even  a bird  or  an 
insect,  that  did  not  belong  to  their  own  company.  After  a fort- 
night thus  spent  in  the  desert,  the  expedition  saw  symptoms  of 
a return  to  the  region  of  life.  Scattered  spots  of  thin  herbage 
appeared ; little  valleys  watered  by  springs  were  filled  with  the 
shrub  called  suag^  on  which  grew  delicate  berries ; small  herds 
of  gazelles  fed  in  these  retreats ; even  the  droves  of  hyenas 
which  were  occasionally  seen  indicated  the  revival  of  animal 
nature.  As  they  advanced  the  dales  became  more  gay  and 
verdant,  and  after  passing  through  varied  scenes,  both  pleasing 
and  painful,  they  entered  Kanem,  the  most  northern  province 
of  Bornou,  and  soon  afterwards  arrived  at  Lari,  a town  of  2,000 
inhabitants. 

This  place  formed  a remarkable  stage  in  their  progress ; for 
from  the  rising  ground  in  front  of  it  was  seen  the  boundless 
expanse  of  the  great  interior  sea  of  this  part  of  Africa,  Lake 
Tchad,  “glowing  with  the  golden  rays  of  the  sun.”  The  caravan 
now  marched  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and  arrived  in 
two  days  at  Woodie,  a large  town,  the  first  which  was  found 
thoroughly  negro.  A halt  was  made  here  till  messengers  were 
sent  to  the  sheik  of  Bornou  to  obtain  permission  to  proceed. 
After  five  days  an  invitation  arrived  from  the  sheik  to  visit  him 
at  Kouka,  his  capital ; and  on  entering  that  place  the  expedition 
was  escorted  by  some  thousands  of  horsemen,  whom  they  found 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  47 

drawn  up  in  line,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  awaiting  their 
approach.  On  being  admitted  into  the  royal  presence,  the 
travellers  found  the  sheik  quietly  seated  on  a carpet,  plainly 
dressed,  in  a small  dark  room,  ornamented  solely  with  guns 
and  pistols,  which  he  had  received  as  presents  from  crowned 
heads,  and  which  he  esteemed  the  most  rare  and  precious  of 
decorations.  He  appeared  about  forty-five  years  of  age,  and 
his  countenance  was  pleasing  and  expressive.  After  going 
through  the  usual  ceremonies  which  the  etiquette  of  the  country 
required,  the  travellers  withdrew;  and  the  next  day  Major 
Denham  waited  again  on  the  sheik,  and  delivered  his  presents, 
which  consisted  of  a double-barrelled  gun  and  two  pistols,  with 
powder-flask  and  shot  cases  complete ; also  several  fine  cloths, 
spices,  and  porcelain.  These  articles  seemed  to  give  general 
satisfaction.  The  arms  were  examined  with  much  interest, 
whilst  the  other  things  were  carried  off  by  the  slaves,  as  a 
matter  of  course.  The  Major  frequently  visited  the  sheik 
afterwards,  and  one  day  he  took  with  him  a musical  box,  with 
which  his  royal  highness  was  so  pleased  that  his  visitor  made 
him  a present  of  it. 

Denham  and  Clapperton  spent  two  years  in  this  part  of  the 
interior ; the  former  travelling  chiefly  in  Bornou,  and  the  latter 
in  Houssa.  These  eminent  explorers  visited  Mandara,  Loggun, 
Katagum,  Murmur,  Sansan,  Kano,  Sackatoo,  and  other  large 
towns,  cities,  and  centres  of  population ; and  their  descriptions 
of  the  country,  people,  markets,  amusements,  and  other  scenes 
which  they  witnessed,  are  both  amusing  and  interesting.  We 
confess,  however,  that  we  should  have  followed  them  in  their 
journeyings  with  greater  pleasure  if  they  had  not  joined  several 
native  warlike  expeditions  in  their  savage  attacks  on  peaceful 
villages  to  carry  off  the  hapless  inhabitants  as  slaves,  in  one  of 
which  Boo  Khalloom  and  many  others  were  killed.  Their  plea, 
of  course,  was  that  they  wished  to  see  more  of  the  country  and 
the  manners  of  the  people ; but  we  venture  to  think  that  some 
of  their  proceedings  were  scarcely  justifiable  on  any  ground. 
Having  viewed  the  Niger  and  several  of  its  most  important 


48 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


tributaries,  and  collected  much  valuable  information,  the  travel- 
lers would  gladly  have  pushed  their  way  through  to  the  western 
coast,  with  the  hope  of  solving  the  great  problem  as  to  the 
termination  of  the  Niger ; but  this  they  were  not  able  to  do, 
in  consequence  of  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country  in  that 
direction,  and  the  decided  objection  of  the  sheik  of  Bornou 
to  aid  them  in  their  project.  Denham  and  Clapperton  there- 
fore recrossed  the  desert  and  returned  to  England  via  Tripoli, 
having  buried  poor  Dr.  Oudney,  who  died  of  consumption  in 
Houssa.  They  arrived  at  Tripoli  in  January,  1825,  and  thence 
embarked  for  Leghorn  ; but,  being  detained  by  contrary  winds 
and  quarantine  regulations,  they  did  not  reach  London  till  the 
month  of  June. 

Difficulties  having  presented  themselves  in  the  way  of  reaching 
the  western  coast  of  Africa  from  the  interior,  it  was  resolved  to 
make  one  more  effort  to  penetrate  the  interior  from  the  west 
coast ; and  Clapperton,  having  been  applauded  for  the  courage 
and  perseverance  which  he  displayed  in  his  first  journey,  and 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain,  nobly  offered  to  conduct  a 
new  expedition  on  this  route.  Captain  Clapperton  had  associated 
with  him  in  this  mission,  in  addition  to  his  attached  servant 
Richard  Lander,  Captain  Pearce,  an  excellent  draughtsman,  and 
Mr.  Morrison,  a surgeon  of  some  experience,  whose  skill,  it  was 
thought,  might  be  of  great  service  m contributing  to  the  health 
of  the  whole  expedition.  The  party  reached  the  coast  towards 
the  end  of  1825,  and  were  advised  by  Mr.  Houtson,  an  intelligent 
and  experienced  resident  there,  not  to  follow  the  course  of  the 
river — a circuitous  track,  covered  with  pestilential  swamps  and 
jungle — but  to  take  the  route  across  the  country  from  Badagry, 
as  the  most  direct  and  commodious,  and  that  by  which,  in  fact, 
almost  all  the  caravans  from  Houssa  came  down  to  the  shores 
of  the  Atlantic.  They  accordingly  left  that  place  on  the  7th  of 
December;  but  they  had  not  proceeded  far  before  Morrison 
and  Pearce  were  attacked  with  bilious  fever,  and  Clapperton 
with  fits  of  ague,  induced  by  sleeping  on  the  damp  ground  in 
the  open  air.  They  pushed  on,  however,  till  the  22nd,  when 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  49 

the  chief  of  the  expedition,  seeing  the  illness  of  his  two  com- 
panions increase,  urged  them  either  to  remain  behind  or  return 
to  Badagry.  They  persisted  in  proceeding,  however ; but  next 
day  Mr.  Morrison,  who  could  struggle  on  no  longer,  departed 
for  the  coast,  and  died  before  he  reached  it.  Captain  Pearce 
persevered,  till,  sinking  on  the  road,  he  also  breathed  his  last, 
on  the  evening  of  the  27th.  The  survivor  was  thus  left  to 
pursue  his  journey  in  sorrow  and  sadness,  with  his  faithful 
servant  Richard  Lander,  and  Pascoe,  an  African  whom  he  had 
hired  at  Badagry,.  as  his-  only  companions. 

After  a journey  of  sixty  miles  the  travellers  entered  the 
kingdom  of  Yoruba,  the  capital  of  which  was  Eyeo.  This 
country  had  long  been  considered  the  most  populous,  powerful, 
and  flourishing  of  any  in  Western  Africa,  holding  even  Dahomey 
in  vassalage.  Clapperton  found  it  fully  to  answer  this  descrip- 
tion ; and  observed,  moreover,  that  the  fields  were  everywhere 
cleared  and  extensively  cultivated  with  Indian  corn,,  millet, 
yams,  and  cotton.  The  travellers  had  now  to  cross  a range  of 
hills  about  eighty  miles  broad,  said  to  reach  the  whole  way 
from  behind  Ashanti  to  Benin.  Having  descended  to  the  plain, 
they  passed  through  a number  of  other  towns  to  Tshow,  where 
a caboceer  arrived,  with  a numerous  train,  from  the  king  of 
Yoruba,  to  conduct  them  to  his  royal  residence.  N-ext  morning 
they  set  out  with  an  imposing  escort  of  bowmen  on  foot,  and 
of  horsemen  ill  mounted  but  active,  dressed  in  the  most 
grotesque  manner,  and  covered  with  charms.  From  the  brow 
of  a hill  Eyeo,  the  great  capital,  fifteen  miles  in  circumference, 
opened  to  the  view,  on  the  opposite  side  of  a vast  plain  bordered 
by  a ridge  of  granite  hills  and  surrounded  by  a brilliant  belt  of 
verdure. 

The  entry  of  Clapperton  into  Eyeo,  and  his  introduction  to 
the  king  of  Yoruba,  were  attended  with  the  barbaric  pomp  and 
splendour  usual  on  such  occasions  in  Africa.  The  English 
were  well  treated  by  hk  sable  majesty  and  his  subjects ; and 
here,  as  at  other  places,  he  observed  the  great  difference 
between  the  rule  of  the  simple  negroes  and  that  of  the  despotic 

4 


50 


Africa  : Pad  and  Present, 


Moors.  Having  witnessed  many  exciting  scenes  in  Eyeo,  mth 
the  consent  of  the  king  Clapperton  proceeded  onward  through 
various  smaMer  places  till  he  came  to  Kiama,  the  capital  of  a 
district  of  the  same  name,  and  containing  30,000  inhabitants. 
Kiama,  Wawa,  Niki,  and  Boussa  are  described  by  our  traveller 
as  provinces  of  the  kingdom  of  Borgoo ; but  they  each  possess 
a kind  of  local  government  of  their  own.  On  his  way  to  Comie 
Clapperton  visited  Boussa,  the  scene  of  Park’s  melancholy 
death ; and,  from  information  which  he  collected  on  the  spot 
it  appears  that  the  report  of  Amidi  Fatouma  as  given  in  another 
place  was  substantially  correct.  The  party  next  passed  through 
Kotongkora  and  Guari  to  Zegzeg,  a Fellata  country,  the  capital 
of  which  is  Zaria.  Setting  out  from  Zaria,  Clapperton  soon 
reached  his  old  quarters  at  Kano ; but  he  unfortunately  found 
that  city  in  a state  of  dreadful  agitation  in  consequence  of 
war  which  raged  on  ever)'  side.  At  the  sultan’s  suggestion  he 
therefore  repaired  to  Sackatoo,  which  was  the  last  place  he 
was  permitted  to  visit.  Here  his  health  and  constitution  gave 
way ; and  having  lingered  for  some  time,  during  which  he  was 
confined  to  his  bed  by  dysentery,  he  peacefully  passed  away 
in  the  presence  of  his  faithful  servant  and  companion  Richard 
Lander,  who  had  nursed  him  during  his  illness  with  the  most 
filial  tenderness. 

On  the  death  of  Captain  Clapperton  Richard  Lander  had  a 
mind  to  push  forward  the  object  of  the  expedition  single-handed 
as  he  was ; but  he  met  with  obstacles  at  every  turn,  and  the 
country  through  which  he  wished  to  pass  being  involved  in  war, 
he  w'as  obliged  to  retrace  his  steps  to  the  coast.  He  reached 
Badagry  on  the  21st  of  November,  1827;  but  being  detained 
for  some  time  there  and  at  Cape  Coast,  he  did  not  reach 
England  with  Clapperton ’s  papers  till  the  30th  of  April,  1828. 

Laing  and  CailliI 

About  the  time  that  Clapperton  proceeded  on  his  second 
journey.  Major  Laing,  who  had  distinguished  himself  in  the 
Ashanti  war,  and  in  the  short  excursion  already  mentioned 


Early  Adventure  and  Discovery.  51 

towards  the  source  of  the  Niger,  undertook  to  penetrate  to 
Timbuctu  by  way  of  Tripoli.  He  set  out  under  the  protection 
of  Sheik  Baboni,  who  professed  to  have  resided  twenty-two 
years  at  Timbuctu,  and  was  now  governor  of  Ghadamis ; but 
in  the  midst  of  the  desert,  sixteen  days  after  leaving  Tuat,  a 
band  of  ferocious  Tuaricks  surprised  the  cafila  while  the  Major 
was  in  bed;  and  having  inflicted  twenty-four  wounds,  eight  of 
them  with  a sabre,  left  him  for  dead.  Through  the  care  of 
his  companions,  however,  he  made  a surprising  recovery, 
numerous  portions  of  bone  having  been  extracted  from  his  head 
and  temples.  After  some  further  delays  he  reached  Timbuctu 
on  the  i8th  of  August,  1826,  and  remained  there  more  than  a 
month.  Several  letters  were  received  from  him  dated  from 
that  celebrated  city,  which  he  described  as  in  the  main  answer- 
ing his  expectations.  Laing  was  at  length  obliged  to  leave 
Timbuctu  rather  hastily,  having  learned  that  certain  bigoted 
Mussulmen  were  plotting  to  take  away  his  life ; and  yet  in 
attempting  to  save  his  life  he  lost  it.  Having  made  an  arrange- 
ment with  Barbooshi,  a noted  Moorish  merchant,  to  accompany 
and  protect  him  in  the  route  by  Sego  to  the  coast,  his  course 
came  to  a melancholy  end.  Three  days  after  leaving  Timbuctu, 
and  when  in  the  heart  of  the  desert,  that  miscreant,  instigated 
by  avarice,  murdered  in  the  night-time  the  poor  lonely  white 
man  whom  he  had  undertaken  to  protect,  and  took  possession 
of  all  his  effects.  Thus  perished  brave  Major  Laing,  after  having 
devoted  so  many  years  of  his  life  to  African  discovery. 

Another  journey  was  now  announced  as  having  been  taken 
by  M.  Cailli6,  an  enterprising  Frenchman.  According  to  his 
own  statement — the  accuracy  of  which,  however,  some  affected 
to  doubt — he  visited  Senegal  twice,  and  afterwards,  taking  his 
departure  from  Sierra  Leone,  had  set  out  with  a small  caravan 
of  Mandingoes  and  travelled  through  Kakundy,  Foota  Jallo, 
Teembu,  Laby,  Kankan,  and  right  away  to  Timbuctu.  There 
he  spent  two  or  three  weeks;  but  his  account  of  the  great 
city  is  very  defective.  He  describes  it  as  entirely  supported  by 
commerce,  and  as  having  a population  of  about  1 2,000,  chiefly 


52 


Africa',  Past  and  Present. 


negroes.  He  set  out  on  his  return  journey  in  company  with  a 
caravan  of  1 20  camels,  laden  with  the  productions  of  Soudan  \ 
and  he  had  now  the  prospect  of  crossing  a desert  of  ten  days’ 
extent,  in  which  there  was  scarcely  a blade  of  grass  or  a drop 
of  water.  In  reference  to  this  he  says  : “ Before  us  appeared  a 
horizon  without  bounds,  in  which  our  eyes  distinguished  only 
an  immense  plain  of  burning  sand,  enveloped  by  a sky  on  fire. 
At  this  spectacle  the  camels  raised  long  cries,  and  the  poor 
slaves  mournfully  lifted  their  eyes  to  heaven.” 

During  many  weary  marches  Cailli^  suffered  much  from  the 
scarcity  of  water  and  the  insults  of  his  companions.  El  Drah, 
on  the  frontier  of  Morocco,  was  the  first  inhabited  district 
reached  by  the  caravan ; but  it  was  very  poor  and  infested  with 
robbers.  Turning  somewhat  to  the  eastward,  they  passed 
through  the  fine  country  of  Tafilet,  covered  with  noble  woods 
of  date-trees,  and  producing  a valuable  breed  of  sheep.  After 
undergoing  the  labour  of  crossing  a rugged  defile  of  Mount 
Atlas,  they  proceeded  to  Fezzan,  whence  the  adventurer  found 
his  way,  though  in  a somewhat  poor  plight,  to  Tangier.  He 
arrived  there  on  the  i8th  of  August,  1828,  and  M.  Delaporte, 
the  vice-consul,  received  him  kindly,  and  forwarded  him  to 
France,  where  he  published  a narrative  of  his  travels  for  the 
edification  of  his  countrymen. 


53 


CHAPTER  II, 

RECENT  ADVENTURE  AND  DISCOVERS. 

Richard  and  John  Lander — Laird  and  Oldfield — Coulthurst  and  Davidson — 
Niger  Expedition — Barth,  Krapf  and  Rebmann — Burton  and  Speke — 
Speke,  Grant  and  Baker — Dr.  Livingstone — Stanley  and  Cameron. 

IT  was  generally  admitted,  at  the  time,  that  the  published 
narratives  of  the  journeys  of  Park,  Denham,  Clapperton, 
and  other  adventurers,  had  added  much  to  the  knowledge 
previously  possessed  of  the  interior  of  Africa.  These  enter- 
prising travellers  had  explored  numerous  kingdoms  and  terri- 
tories lying  between  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Gulf  of  Benin, 
scarcely  known  to  exist  before ; they  had  discovered  and 
described  new  mountains,  lakes,  and  rivers;  yet  the  coufse 
and  termination  of  the  Niger  remained  wrapped  in  mystery 
nearly  as  deep  as  ever.  Its  stream  had  been  traced  very  little 
lower  than  Boussa,  the  point  which  Park  had  reached,  and 
where  his  career  was  brought  to  a fatal  termination.  All 
below  was  involved  in  uncertainty,  and  geographers  and 
scientific  men  generally  were  extremely  anxious  to  have  the 
problem  of  the  further  course  and  termination  of  the  majestic 
river  solved.  Among  those  who  had  experience  in  such 
matters,  no  one  appeared  so  fitted  to  head  another  expedition 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  desired  object  as  Richard 
Lander,  who  had  acquitted  himself  so  well  as  the  faithful 
servant  and  companion  of  the  lamented  Clapperton.  Nor 
was  he  himself  reluctant  to  undertake  the  task.  Having 
offered  his  services,  he  was  engaged  accordingly,  on  very 
economical  terms ; and,  together  with  his  brother  John,  whom 
he  particularly  wished  to  have  associated  with  him  in  the 


54  Africa : Pad  and  Presefit. 

enterprise,  he  made  preparations  for  the  adventurous  under- 
taking. 

Richard  and  John  Lander. 

The  two  brothers  sailed  from  Portsmouth  on  the  9th  of 
January,  1830,  and  arrived  at  Cape  Coast  on  the  22nd  of 
February,  where  they  met  with  much  kindness  and  hospitality 
from  all  classes  of  the  community,  as  they  did  also  at  Anamaboe, 
where  they  called  soon  afterwards.  Having  engaged  the 
services  of  the  faithful  negro  Pascoe,  who  accompanied  the 
former  expedition,  they  proceeded  on  their  journey,  calling 
at  Accra  on  their  voyage  along  the  coast,  and  arriving  at 
Badagry  on  the  22nd  of  March.  At  the  place  last  named 
the  travellers  were  much  annoyed  by  the  crowds  of  natives, 
who  made  the  most  noisy  pretensions  of  their  regard,  hoping 
to  obtain  presents,  or  at  least  a glass  or  two  of  rum.  The 
situation  of  Badagry  is  described  as  in  a fertile  plain,  watered 
by  a broad  river,  resembling  a still  and  beautiful  lake.  The 
soil,  composed  of  loam  or  clay,  covered  with  a fine  whitish 
sand,  is  exceedingly  productive,  especially  in  yams,  Indian 
corn,  and  fruits,  while  fish  is  abundantly  supplied  from  the 
neighbouring  stream. 

In  proceeding  to  Eyeo,  the  capital  of  Yoruba,  the  party 
followed  the  route  formerly  pursued  by  Clapperton,  with  a 
few  slight  variations,  which  did  not  bring  them  into  contact 
with  any  new  places  of  importance,  except  Bohoo,  an  extensive 
city  which  is  described  as  being  situated  in  the  midst  of  as 
fine  a country  as  the  best  parts  of  England.  The  travellers 
were  well  received  at  Eyeo,  the  king  expressing  a readiness 
to  promote  the  success  of  their  enterprise  by  every  means  in 
his  power.  Lander  had  been  directed  to  proceed  by  the 
shortest  route  to  the  Niger,  which  is  distant  only  about  forty 
miles  from  this  town;  but,  difficulties  presenting  themselves, 
he  decided  to  go  by  way  of  Youri,  which  involved  a circuit 
of  more  than  300  miles ; this  was  a disadvantage  in  some 
respects,  although  additional  facilities  were  thus  afforded  for 
seeing  the  country  and  the  people. 


55 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 

Having  left  Eyeo,  the  expedition  passed  through  the  large 
frontier  town  of  Keeshee,  after  which  they  found  themselves 
in  a region  altogether  different  from  the  level  and  fertile  plain 
over  which  they  Jiad  hitherto  journeyed.  The  surface  became 
abrupt  and  rugged,  and  covered  with  vast  forests,  through  which 
ranged  the  lion,  the  leopard,  and  other  fierce  and  destructive 
animals.  The  country  was  moreover  infested  with  robbers, 
who  made  repeated  attempts  to  plunder  the  travellers.  In 
the  midst  of  this  wild  region  the  passage  of  the  small  rivulet 
of  Moussa  brought  them  into  Kiama,  a territory  which  differs 
completely  from  Yoruba,  both  in  its  aspect  and  population. 
The  king  of  this  place  gave  them  a good  reception  in  his 
palace,  or  rather  hut,  on  the  floor  of  which  arms  were  piled ; 
while  the  walls  were  adorned  with  portraits  of  George  IV., 
the  Duke  of  York,  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and  Lord  Nelson. 
Although  the  king  managed  to  detain  the  travellers  longer 
than  they  desired,  he  made  no  actual  opposition  to  their 
journey ; but  persuaded  them  not  to  proceed  through  Wawa, 
with  whose  chief  he  was  then  at  war. 

Acting  upon  the  counsel  given  by  the  king  of  Kiama,  which 
appeared  to  be  judicious,  the  travellers  proceeded  over  a hilly 
country,  and  through  the  towns  of  Kakafungi,  Coobly,  and 
Zalee;  till,  on  the  17th  of  June,  they  arrived  at  Boussa,  the 
scene  of  Park’s  sad  disaster.  They  were  immediately  intro- 
duced to-  the  king,  and  to  the  midiki  or  queen,  from  both  of 
whom  they  experienced  the  most  cordial  reception.  Their 
majesties  even  professed  to  have  been  weeping  in  the  morning 
over  the  death  of  Captain  Clapperton,.  though  their  eyes  bore 
no  symptoms  of  this  sorrowful  occupation.  Next  day  the 
illustrous  pair  were  delighted  beyond  measure  by  being  pre- 
sented with  a looking-glass.  They  afterwards  waited  upcm- 
the  travellers  in  very  humble  attire,  and  without  the  least 
ceremony.  Some  regret  was  at  first  expressed  that  no  coral 
was  included  among  their  presents ; but  a few  plated  buttons, 
newly  cleaned,  soon  engrossed  their  attention,  and  gave  rise 
to  a long  and  eager  struggle  who  should  have  the  prettiest. 


56 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


The  king  secured  the  largest  and  best,  yet  contrived  to  per- 
suade the  queen  to  be  content  with  what  fell  to  her  lot.  “ The 
royal  couple  were  like  two  great  children.” 

From  Boussa  the  Landers  proceeded  up  the  river  to  Youri, 
to  make  preparation  for  their  downward  voyage.  Before  finally 
leaving  Boussa  the  travellers  made  one  more  effort  to  recover 
papers  and  effects  belonging  to  the  lamented  Mungo  Park,  but 
without  much  success.  It  was  found,  however,  that  the  sultan 
possessed  a rich  crimson  damask  tobe  or  cloak,  embroidered 
with  gold  lace,  which  he  said  was  purchased  by  his  predecessor 
from  a white  man,  at  a period  very  nearly  corresponding  with 
the  date  of  Park’s  last  journey,  and  there  was  reason  to  think 
that  it  had  actually  belonged  to  him.  Having  expressed  a 
strong  desire  to  possess  it,  the  travellers  were  fortunate  enough 
to  receive  this  beautiful  tobe  as  a present ; but,  as  will  be  seen 
in  the  course  of  our  narrative,  subsequent  events  prevented 
their  bringing  it  to  England.  They  made  searching  inquiry 
for  papers  and  books,  hoping  to  recover  Park’s  journal,  and  at 
one  time  their  expectations  were  raised  to  a high  pitch,  as 
they  heard  of  a poor  man  who  possessed  a large  volume  ; but 
when  it  was  brought  it  proved  to  be  an  obsolete  nautical 
'publication  of  the  last  century.  Among  the  leaves,  however, 
■was  found  an  invitation  card  addressed  to  Mr.  Park  by  a 
friend  in  the  Strand,  which  showed  that  the  book  had  belonged 
to  him.  Thus  all  hope  of  obtaining  any  more  important  relics 
of  the  great  explorer  vanished. 

On  the  2oth  of  September  the  travellers  took  a friendly  leave 
of  their  majesties  of  Boussa,  and  resumed  their  voyage  down 
the  mighty  Niger.  Their  canoe  arrangements  were  very  defec- 
tive at  first,  but  they  obtained  more  suitable  vessels  in  exchange 
for  those  they  possessed  as  they  had  opportunity.  The  incidents 
of  the  voyage,  which  occupied  about  two  months,  were  of 
varied  interest.  Being  unprovided  with  the  necessary  instru- 
ments, and  possessing  but  very  limited  scientific  knowledge, 
the  explorers  were  unable  to  fix  the  geographical  position  of 
•prominent  places,  but  they  give  a very  sensible  and  interesting 


HOt.UM  yilX  \'o  ■JMlIM.WMi.  SIOXVi 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


57 


account  of  what  they  saw.  They  found  the  river  to  vary  in 
width  from  one  to  three  miles,  and  in  some  places  it  overflowed 
the  low  lands,  assuming  the  appearance  of  vast  lakes  or  inland 
seas.  It  was,  moreover,  bestudded  with  a number  of  beautiful 
verdant  islands  of  varied  sizes  and  shapes,  some  of  which  were 
inhabited  and  apparently  well  cultivated.  They  observed,  as 
they  sailed  along,  the  entrance  of  numerous  tributaries  into  the 
main  stream,  the  largest  of  which  was  the  Tchadda.  The  shore 
on  each  bank  was  in  some  places  barren,  mountainous,  and 
rugged,  and  in  others  level  and  fertile.  They  noted  the  names 
of  numerous  large  towns  and  peoples  with  whom  they  came 
in  contact, — as  Layaba,  Bajiebo,  Belee,  Rabba,  Zagoshi,  Egga, 
Kacunda,  and  others.  When  they  heard  of  a town  with  a bad 
name  they  contrived  to  pass  it  in  the  night,  and  so  avoided,  as 
much  as  possible,  intercourse  with  savage  and  warlike  peoples, 
only  going  on  shore  where  they  thought  they  could  do  so  with 
impunity.  • 

On  the  whole,  however,  our  adventurers  found  the  natives 
well  disposed  till  they  came  near  the  coast,  when  they  observed 
a great  difference  in  their  manners  and  bearing.  In  the  lower 
regions,  where  they  had  been  brought  into  contact  with  the 
slavers,  they  became  more  insolent  in  their  demands  for 
presents ; and  at  length  the  travellers  were  involved  in  difficulty 
and  trouble.  One  instance  of  a narrow  escape  from  danger 
and  death  may  be  given  as  a specimen.  They  had  sailed  from 
Kacunda,  their  last  halting-place,  a distance  of  about  seventy 
or  eighty  miles,  when  feeling  fatigued,  and  their  apprehensions 
of  danger  being  lulled,  they  landed.  On  a cleared  spot,  seem- 
ingly laid  out  for  a market  or  fair,  they  began  to  erect  an 
awning,  with  the  view  of  taking  some  repose.  But  news  was 
soon  brought  that  some  of  their  men,  straggling  in  search  of 
firewood,  had  lighted  upon  a village,  where  they  found  only 
females  and  children ; who,  struck  with  alarm,  ran  into  the 
fields  to  warn  the  men  of  the  arrival  of  strangers.  Suddenly 
one  of  the  native  sailors  called  aloud,  “War  is  coming  ! oh,  war 
is  coming !”  Starting  up,  they  beheld  a large  party  of  men 


58 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


almost  naked,  running  in  a very  irregular  manner,  and  with 
uncouth  gestures,  towards  the  little  encampment.  They  were 
all  variously  armed  with  muskets,  bows  and  arrows,  cutlasses, 
knives,  barbs,  long  spears,  and  other  instruments  of  destruction. 
Very  uneasy  sensations  were  produced  by  the  sight  of  this  band 
of  wild  men,  with  their  ferocious  looks  and  hostile  appearance. 
They  advanced  rapidly  in  such  numbers  as  to  afford  scarcely 
any  hope  of  a successful  conflict.  It  was  therefore  determined 
to  approach  and  accost  them  in  a pacific  manner. 

The  sequel  will  be  best  given  in  the  words  of  the  narrator: — 
“ Throwing  down  our  pistols,  which  we  had  snatched  up'  in  the 
first  moment  of  surprise,”  says  Richard  Lander,  “ my  brother 
and  I walked  very  composedly,  and  unarmed,  towards  the  chief. 
As  we  approached  him,  we  made  all  the  signs  and  motions  we 
could  with  our  arms,  to  deter  him  and  his  people  from  firing 
upon  us.  His  quiver  was  dangling  at  his  side,  his  bow  w'as 
bent,  and  an  arrow  which  was  pointed  at  us  already  trembled 
on  the  string,  when  we  were  within  a few  yards  of  his  person. 
This  was  a highly  critical  moment, — the  next  might  be  our  last. 
But  the  hand  of  Providence  averted  the  blow  ; for  just  as  the 
chief  was  about  to  pull  the  fatal  cord,  a man  that  was  nearest 
to  him  rushed  forward  and  stayed  his  arm;  all  of  them  trembled 
like  aspen  leaves  ; the  chief  looked  up  full  in  our  faces,  kneel- 
ing on  the  ground ; light  seemed  to  flash  from  his  dark  rolling 
eyes ; his  body  was  convulsed  all  over,  as  though  he  were  en- 
during the  utmost  torture  ; and  with  a tremulous  yet  undefinable 
expression  of  countenance  he  dropped  his  head,  eagerly  grasped 
our  proffered  hands,  and  burst  into,  tears.  This  was  a sign  of 
friendship ; harmony  followed,  and  war  and  bloodshed  were 
thought  of  no  more.  Peace  and  friendship  now  reigned 
among  us.” 

Thankful  for  this  merciful  deliverance,  the  adventurous 
voyagers  pursued  their  way  down  the  stream ; but  it  was  not 
long  before  they  were  involved  in  still  greater  trouble.  In  the 
course  of  a few  days  they  thought  they  perceived  the  influence 
of  the  tide  affecting  their  progress.  The  periodical  rise  and 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


59 


fall  of  the  water  in  the  river,  which  became  more  and  more 
apparent,  produced  in  their  minds  the  conviction  that  they  were 
approaching  the  sea ; and  they  rejoiced  to  think  that  their  toils 
would  soon  be  over  and  the  grand  problem  of  the  termination 
of  the  Niger  solved.  Whilst  thus  musing,  about  seven  o’clock 
in  the  evening,  they  came  to  the  junction  of  two  rivers,  one 
flowing  from  the  east  into  the  Niger,  and  the  other  westward 
from  it  to  Benin,  near  which  stood  the  large  market  town  of 
Kirree.  Numerous  boats  were  lying  on  the  shore ; and  there 
soon  appeared,  coming  upwards,  a fleet  of  fifty  large  canoes 
ornamented  with  a variety  of  ensigns,  among  which  was  the 
British  union  flag.  The  clothing  of  the  men  was  entirely  of 
European  manufacture,  and  the  whole  presented  a spectacle 
at  once  picturesque  and  grateful  to  an  English  eye.  Richard 
Lander,  whose  canoe  was  a little  in  advance,  sailed  gaily  on  to 
meet  them;  but  emotions  of  a different  kind  speedily  succeeded, 
when  a huge  negro  in  one  of  the  canoes  beckoned  him  to  come 
on  board.  As  he  did  not  instantly  obey,  the  crew  mounted  a 
platform,  and  levelled  their  muskets  at  him.  He  felt  that,  with 
his  small  loaded  bark,  to  engage  a fleet  of  fifty  war-canoes  would 
be  merely  to  throw  away  his  life.  He  therefore  stood  still  whilst 
the  assailant  pronounced  him  his  prisoner  and  took  possession 
of  all  his  goods. 

Meantime  John  Lander  and  his  party  hove  in  sight ; and  great 
was  their  surprise  when  they  beheld  the  fleet  of  war-canoes,  and 
the  leader  of  the  expedition  on  board  one  of  them.  John  made 
an  effort  to  escape,  but  he  was  pursued  and  seized  by  main  force, 
and  in  the  struggle  which  followed  his  canoe  was  upset,  and 
he  had  a narrow  escape  from  a watery  grave.  On  looking 
round  in  despair,  he  saw  Richard  at  a short  distance  steadily 
looking  upon  him,  and  pointing  his  finger  to  the  skies,  as  if 
saying,  “ Trust  in  God.”  Hereupon  his  mind  became  more 
composed ; and  soon  after  coming  alongside,  Richard  threw 
a shirt  over  the  naked  body  of  his  brother,  and  spoke  to  him 
words  of  comfort ; but  on  attempting  to  go  on  board  the  same 
canoe  he  was  dragged  back  with  violence,  and  for  the  present 


6o 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


the  brothers  were  kept  separated.  In  this  extremity,  and  while 
the  travellers  scarcely  hoped  for  life,  affairs  suddenly  took  a 
favourable  turn.  Some  of  the  natives  of  a neighbouring  pro- 
vince, who  accompanied  the  expedition,  had  been  plundered 
also ; and  when  the  whole  of  the  party  were  landed  at  Kirree, 
these  called  for  justice.  They  were  seconded  by  a number  of 
females  richly  dressed  in  silk,  and  others  disposed  to  befriend 
them.  A council  was  forthwith  held  in  the  market-place,  which 
decided  that  the  attack  had  been  unwarrantable,  that  the  stolen 
goods  should  be  restored,  and  the  ringleader  in  the  attack  put 
to  death.  Search  was  accordingly  made  for  the  goods;  and 
there  were  produced  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly  the  medicine 
chest  of  the  expedition,  a box  with  books,  John  Lander’s  diary, 
and  the  cloths-bag  nearly  emptied  of  its  contents.  There  had 
disappeared  the  whole  of  the  arms,  nine  valuable  elephants’ 
tusks,  ostrich-feathers,  various  small  commodities,  and  (what 
was  most  of  all  regretted)  Richard  Lander’s  journal.  The 
travellers  were  then  called,  and  informed  that,  the  king  of 
Kirree  being  absent,  they  must  be  sent  to  Obie,  the  ruler  of 
the  Eboe  country,  and  placed  at  his  disposal. 

This  was  considered  a favourable  arrangement  by  the 
travellers,  though  they  became  virtually  captives,  and  were 
escorted  down  the  river  by  two  large  war-canoes.  The  banks 
now  presented  an  alluvial  aspect,  resembling  that  of  the  coast ; 
they  were  low,  flat,  and  swampy,  and  covered  with  forests  of 
mangrove  and  other  trees.  On  the  8th  of  November,  after 
passing  two  large  branches  of  the  river,  one  flowing  south-east 
and  the  other  west,  an  Eboe  man  called  out,  “ There  is  my 
country ! ” and  they  soon  came  in  front  of  the  town,  where 
there  were  hundreds  of  canoes,  some  larger  than  any  they  had 
seen  before.  The  houses  were  uncommonly  neat,  plastered, 
with  wooden  pillars  in  front,  and  surrounded  by  well-fenced 
courtyards,  in  which  grew  bananas  and  plantains. 

Having  been  brought  before  King  Obie,  the  travellers  were 
informed  that  the  price  of  their  ransom  would  be  “twenty 
bars,”  or  the  value  of  twenty  slaves,  and  that  they  must  remain 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  6i 

at  Eboe  till  that  amount  was  sent  up  from  the  coast.  This 
announcement  struck  them  with  consternation,  as  it  appeared 
very  doubtful  whether  any  English  captain  would  be  disposed 
to  advance  such  a sum.  However,  a personage  calling  himself 
King  Boy  determined  ta  engage  in  the  speculation,  and  offered 
to  pay  Obie  his.  demand,  provided  he  obtained  a “ book  ” or 
order  on  Captain  Lake  of  the  English  brig  Thomas,  then  at 
anchor  below,  for  thirty-five  bars  and  a cask  of  rum.  This 
was  to  them  gratifying  intelligence,  though  the  claim  was 
exorbitant ; but  they  resolved  to  promise  anything  in  order  to 
effect  their  escape.  The  engagement  was  accordingly  made, 
and  the  brothers  took  their  departure  in  the  custody  of  King 
Boy  in  a large  canoe  bound  for  Brass  Town,  the  royal  residence 
of  their  sable  lord  and  master. 

On  the  17th  of  November,  Richard  Lander,  leaving  his 
brother  and  the  rest  of  the  party  as  hostages,  was  allowed  to 
embark  in  a canoe  at  Brass  Town,  accompanied  by  King  Boy, 
to  complete  his  discoveries.  The  branch  of  the  Niger  which 
here  enters  the  sea  is  divided  intO'  two  smaller  sections,  called 
the  First  and  Second  Brass  Rivers;  but  Brass  Town  is  not 
built  upon  either,  probably  from  their  banks  being  too  low 
and  swampy,  and  liable  to  inundation  in  the  rainy  season.  It 
stands  upon  a large  creek,  connected  with  the  main  stream  by 
numerous  branches  which  wind  through  this  alluvial  district 
In  the  evening  they  reached  the  Second,  and  next  morning  the 
First  Brass  River,  called  by  the  Portuguese  the  Nun ; and  in 
a quarter  of  an  hour  afterwards  Lander,  with  inexpressible 
pleasure,  beheld  in  the  distance  the  long-wished-for  Atlantic, 
and  heard  the  sea  breaking  over  the  sandy  bar  which  stretches 
across  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  two  European  vessels 
were  riding  at  anchor.  The  first  was  a Spanish  slaver,  and 
the  other  the  Thomas  of  Liverpool,  of  which  he  had  previously 
heard.  The  crews  of  both  ships  were  nearly  all  down  with 
African  fever.  On  going  on  board  the  English  vessel  to  make 
known  his  case,  and  to  solicit  the  kind  interposition  of  the 
master,  his  fellow-countryman,  the  sorrow  and  dismay  of  the 


62 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


traveller  may  be  imagined  when  it  is  stated  that,  instead  of 
meeting  with  a cordial,  welcome,  Captain  Lake  received  him 
in  the  most  gruff  and  surly  manner,  positively  refusing,  with 
oaths  and  curses,  to  advance  anything  for  the  ransom  of  the 
unfortunate  but  heroic  brothers.  King  Boy  witnessed  all 
this  with  disappointment  and  indignation,  and  was  about  to 
depart  with  feelings  of  disgust,  when  the  captain  gave  a sort 
of  growling  promise  that  when  Lander’s  brother  and  the  rest 
of  the  party  should  be  brought,  he  would  make  the  required 
payment.  The  king  now  took  his  leave,  sullen  and  grumbling, 
leaving  Richard  Lander  on  board,  and  engaging  that  within 
three  days  he  would  return  with  the  others. 

On  the  23rd  of  November  the  savage  monarch  and  his  suite 
departed  from  Brass  Town  in  a large  canoe,  with  John  Lander 
and  his  companions  in  a smaller  one.  On  the  morning  of  the 
24th  they  reached  the  Thomas,  and  a happy  meeting  took  place 
between  the  brothers.  King  Boy  was  politely  received ; but, 
agitated  between  hope  and  fear,  he  could  not  but  perceive  that 
there  was  no  preparation  for  delivering  to  him  the  valuable 
assortment  of  goods  which  he  so  fondly  expected.  Feeling 
that  he  was  in  the  power  of  the  English,  he  changed  his  haughti- 
ness for  a submissive  address,  and  quietly  awaited  the  issue 
The  Landers,  who  well  knew  what  was  to  follow,  endeavoured 
to  soothe  his  sable  majesty  by  presenting  to  him  five  silver 
bracelets,  a native  sword,  and  a watch,  of  which  he  knew  not 
the  value.  The  two  first  he  accepted,  calling  his  men  however 
to  witness  what  was  offered  instead  of  thirty-five  bars  as  per 
agreement,  when  all  uttered  a significant  groan.  He  then 
ventured  to  approach  the  captain,  and  ask  for  the  goods 
solemnly  promised  to  him.  Lake,  wishing  to  delay  the  crisis 
till  the  ship  was  under  way,  excused  himself  on  account  of 
being  busied  in  writing,  till  the  demand  being  repeated  again 
and  again,  he  called  out  in  a voice  of  thunder,  w///,”  theti 
burst  out  into  a torrent  of  furious  invective  against  the  poor 
.\frican  monarch.  Boy  was  thunderstruck,  and  observing  the 
preparations  for  sailing,  and  fearing  lest  he  might  be  carried 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


63 


off,  hastened  to  his  canoe  and  made  full  speed  for  the  shore. 
It  is  satisfactory  to  know  that,  on  being  made  acquainted  with 
the  facts  of  the  case,  the  British  Government  afterwards  made 
good  to  King  Boy  the  stipulated  amount  of  the  ransom  of  the 
travellers,  and  thus  redeemed  the  honour  of  the  British  name. 

On  the  I St  of  December  the  Thomas,  with  the  Landers  on 
board,  reached  Fernando  Po,  Captain  Lake  having  treated 
his  passengers  very  harshly  during  the  voyage.  There  they 
remained  till  the  20th  of  January,  1831,  when  they  sailed 
on  board  the  Caernarvon  for  Rio  Janeiro,  which  port  they 
reached  on  the  i6th  of  March.  Admiral  Baker,  who  then 
commanded  on  the  station,  gave  them  a most  hospitable 
reception,  and  afforded  them  a passage  home  in  the  William 
Harris  transport  ship,  which  sailed  on  the  20th ; and  on  the 
9th  of  June  they  arrived  in  safety  at  Portsmouth,  thankful  to 
God  for  His  preserving  goodness,  and  their  grand  discovery 
was  soon  made  known  to  the  British  public. 

Laird  and  Oldfield. 

The  successful  expedition  of  the  Landers  proved  that  the 
Niger  is  a river  of  the  first  magnitude ; that  it  winds  its  cir- 
cuitous way  for  more  than  a thousand  miles  through  some 
of  the  most  fertile  and  populous  regions  of  Central  Africa, 
emptying  itself  into  the  Atlantic  through  several  mouths  into 
the  Gulf  of  Benin  ; and  that  it  is  navigable  for  vessels  of 
moderate  draught  through  a considerable  part  of  its  course  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year.  The  publication  of  the  interesting 
narrative  setting  forth  these  facts,  and  illustrating  the  character 
of  the  country  and  the  people,  produced  great  excitement  in 
mercantile  circles  at  home ; and  in  Liverpool  a number  ot 
gentlemen,  at  the  head  of  whom  was  Mr.  Macgregor  Laird, 
formed  themselves  into  a company  with  the  view  of  turning 
the  recent  discoveries  to  some  practical  advantage.  They 
accordingly  organized  a new  expedition  for  the  manifold 
purpose  of  promoting  trade  and  commerce,  suppressing  the 
slave  trade,  and  extending  the  influence  of  religion  and 


64  Africa : Past  and  Present. 

civilization  among  the  barbarous  tribes  of  the  interior  of 
Africa. 

By  means  of  steam  navigation  they  proposed  to  ascend  the 
Niger,  survey  the  country,  and  open  friendly  communications 
with  the  natives  everywhere.  Two  iron  steamers  were  accord- 
ingly constructed  specially  for  this  service — the  Quorra  of 
forty,  and  the  Alburkah  of  sixteen  horse  power,  with  crews 
of  twenty-six  and  fourteen  men  respectively;  while  the 
Columbine,  a sailing  vessel,  of  200  tons,  carried  out  goods 
/ for  traffic.  Mr.  Richard  Lander  readily  accepted  an  invitation 
to  join  the  party,  at  the  head  of  which  was  Mr.  Laird  himself, 
Lieutenant  Allen  being  sent  out  by  Government  to  survey  the 
river,  while  Dr.  Briggs  and  Mr.  Oldfield  went  as  medical  men. 

The  expedition  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the  19th  of  July, 
1832  ; and,  after  calling  at  the  Cape  Verd  Islands,  Sierra 
Leone,  Monrovia,  Axim,  and  Cape  Coast  Castle,  the  vessels 
anchored  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Nun  on  the  i6th  of  October. 
The  effects  of  the  climate,  the  great  barrier  to  African  explora- 
tion, were  soon  manifest,  so  that  within  three  days  they  lost 
by  death  Captain  Harris  and  two  seamen  of  the  Columbine. 
Ten  days  were  employed  in  preparations  for  ascending  the 
river,  during  which  they  received  marked  attention  and  assist- 
ance from  the  native  kings  and  others. 

On  the  26th,  having  got  under  way,  they  began  to  explore 
a passage  through  the  narrow  channel  of  the  Nun  on  their 
way  up  the  river.  On  arriving  at  Eboe,  the  party  met  mth 
a cordial  reception  from  the  king,  notwithstanding  a brush 
which  they  had  had  with  some  of  his  subjects  at  a village 
below.  His  sable  majesty  is  described  as  tall  in  person,  with 
a pleasing  countenance  and  agreeable  manners.  Six  female 
faces,  visible  through  the  doorway  of  an  adjoining  apartment, 
were  understood  to  be  those  of  his  favourite  wives.  Here  also 
was  King  Boy,  who  never  spoke  to  the  other  sovereign  without 
first  falling  upon  his  knees  as  a sign  of  his  inferiority  in  position 
and  power.  Soon  after  leaving  Eboe,  on  the  i ith  of  November, 
fever  made  its  appearance  on  board  both  vessels  in  a most 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


65 


virulent  form.  Mr.  Laird  was  one  of  the  first  to  suffer,  but 
his  attack  was  comparatively  mild,  and  he  soon  got  over  it ; 
but  this  was  not  the  case  with  many  others.  The  disease  daily 
spread  more  widely,  till,  on  the  24th,  the  Quorra  had  lost  thirteen 
men,  and  the  Alburkah  two.  They  were  struck  with  the  appre- 
hension that  all  would  perish  together,  and  not  one  return 
to  relate  the  sad  story  of  their  fate ; but  in  a short  time  the 
disease  abated  somewhat,  and  the  expedition  pushed  along 
up  the  river,  hoping  to  find  the  climate  improve  as  they 
approached  the  high  lands — which  proved  to  be  the  case.  A 
month  was  occupied  in  reaching  Attah,  an  important  and 
populous  town,  about  300  miles  above  Eboe,  where  they 
attempted  to  traffic  with  the  natives,  but  found  serious  diffi- 
culties, owing  to  the  prevalence  of  the  slave  trade. 

The  transactions  of  the  party  with  the  king  of  Attah  were 
very  unsatisfactory;  and  his  brother,  with  whom  they  en- 
deavoured to  treat  for  ivory  and  other  native  produce,  ended 
every  discussion  with  the  angry  query,  “ Why  won’t  you  take 
men  ? ” So  superstitious  were  these  people,  that  the  king  was 
seen  with  his  priests  performing  certain  fetish  ceremonies,  in 
which  persons  fantastically  dressed  used  expressive  gestures,  and 
threw  alligators’  flesh  into  the  river,  hoping  thereby  to  prevent 
the  strangers  from  ascending  farther ; but,  as  he  did  not  oppose 
any  human  obstacle,  they  proceeded  without  further  difficulty. 
The  river  now  assumed  a delightful  appearance,  bordered 
by  gently  undulating  banks  and  hills  of  moderate  elevation ; 
beyond  which  appeared  in  the  distance  the  bold  range  of  the 
Kong  mountains.  The  sick  began  to  recover,  and  the  con- 
valescents to  gain  strength.  On  approaching  the  confluence 
of  the  Tchadda,  the  Niger  presented  itself  to  view  as  “an 
immense  river  about  3000  yards  wide,  flowing  majestically 
between  its  banks,  which  rose  gradually  to  a considerable 
height,  and  were  studded  with  clumps  of  trees  and  brushwood, 
giving  them  the  appearance  of  a gentleman’s  park;  while 
the  smoke  rising  from  the  towns  and  villages,  which  appeared 
in  various  directions,  and  the  number  of  canoes  floating  on 

5 


66 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


its  bosom,  gave  it  an  aspect  of  security  and  peace  far  beyond 
any  African  scene  hitherto  witnessed.” 

The  prospect  of  trade,  however,  did  not  meet  the  expectations 
of  the  adventurers.  Ivory  was  very  scarce  and  dear,  and  the 
indigo  offered  for  sale  was  found  to  be  dirty  and  not  worth  its 
freight  home.  The  stream,  moreover,  now  became  compara- 
tively shallow,  and  on  the  22  nd  of  December  the  Quorra  stuck 
first  on  one  sandbank  and  then  on  another ; and,  after  a 
succession  of  such  accidents,  it  was  found  necessary  to  “ house 
her,”  and  await  the  rise  of  the  water  caused  by  the  rainy  season. 
Lander  endeavoured  to  penetrate  upwards  in  the  Alburkah  to 
Rabba  and  Boussa,  but  soon  discovered  that  the  depth  of 
water  at  this  season  was  not  sufficient  for  his  purpose. 

Condemned  to  a gloomy  and  monotonous  life,  Mr.  Laird 
again  suffered  from  ague  and  fever,  and  was  deeply  affected 
by  the  death  of  Dr.  Briggs,  whose  society  had  been  his  chief 
consolation.  He  therefore  determined  to  ascend  the  Tchadda, 
if  possible,  as  far  as  Funda,  long  known  as  the  chief  city  in  this 
part  of  Africa ; but  the  entrance  of  the  river  was  so  obstructed 
by  sandbanks  that  the  boat  could  proceed  only  through  a creek 
which  two  miles  above  traversed  its  delta.  The  main  stream 
thus  reached  was  found  two  fathoms  deep,  and  flowing  rapidly. 
After  a tedious  navigation  of  seven  days,  during  which  he 
passed  a considerable  number  of  villages,  he  arrived  at  Yim- 
maha,  the  port  of  Funda,  about  thirty  miles  distant  from  the 
city.  He  sent  a message  to  the  king,  to  which  an  answer  was 
returned  by  eighteen  horsemen,  who  bowed  in  humble  obeisance 
to  the  illustrious  stranger,  and  who  informed  him  of  his 
majesty’s  wish  to  see  him  at  his  royal  residence.  After  a 
diligent  search,  a navigable  creek  was  found,  through  which  the 
boat  was  able  to  ascend  to  a point  within  nine  miles  of  Funda. 
By  this  route  Laird  travelled,  and  reached  the  city  at  night,  by 
moonlight,  and  was  directed  to  a miserable  hovel  for  a lodging; 
but  next  day  he  was  provided  with  a better  house  in  a broad 
street.  Both  night  and  morning  he  was  beset  by  immense 
crowds,  who  showed  the  utmost  curiosity  to  see  a white  man. 


Recc7it  Adveiiture  and  Discovery. 


67 


In  the  afternoon  the  king  waited  upon  him  in  full  state,  arrayed 
in  splendid  silk  and  velvet  robes.  He  expressed  great  pleasure 
at  seeing  a European,  and  promised  abundance  of  ivory  for 
barter.  In  the  meantime  he  seated  himself  on  one  of  Mr. 
Laird’s  tin  cases,  containing  his  wardrobe,  which  by  this  act 
was  instantly  declared  by  his  attendants  to  be  his  majesty’s 
property,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  and  they 
proceeded  to  carry  it  off ! It  was  rescued,  however,  by  two  of 
the  boatmen,  although  not  without  a fierce  struggle. 

On  examination,  Funda  was  found  to  be  a large  city  of 
about  40,000  inhabitants,  only  a tenth  part  of  whom  were 
Mohammedans.  A magnificent,  fruitful,  and  extensive  plain 
surrounds  the  city,  bounded  by  a range  of  low  distant  hills. 
The  place  is  enclosed  by  a wall  twelve  feet  high,  six  thick,  and 
for  the  most  part  by  a ditch  ten  feet  deep.  Cotton  is  spun  by 
every  individual,  high  and  low,  the  king  himself  not  excepted  ; 
the  instrument  being  a species  of  bobbin  which  can  be  used  by 
the  hand,  even  in  walking.  The  native  method  of  weaving 
narrow  webs  of  cloth,  about  six  inches  wide,  is  somewhat 
remarkable,  the  loom  and  other  machinery  being  of  the  most 
rude  and  simple  character.  There  are  also  extensive  dye-works, 
and  iron  and  copper  are  fabricated  into  a variety  of  useful 
articles.  Mr.  Laird,  however,  failed  to  transact  any  business 
of  consequence  with  the  king  and  people  of  Funda.  Indeed, 
he  seems,  from  his  own  account,  to  have  been  all  the  time  at 
cross  purposes  with  them  ; so  that  after  a week  or  two  spent  in 
useless  contention,  having  satisfied  his  curiosity  and  amused 
the  natives  by  the  discharge  of  fireworks,  etc.,  he  descended 
the  river,  and  joined  the  members  of  the  expedition  whom  he 
had  left  behind.  Soon  after  this,  Mr.  Laird’s  personal  explora- 
tions in  Africa  came  to  an  end.  Being  apparently  disappointed 
with  the  result  of  the  experiment  so  far,  he  descended  the 
Niger,  and,  after  visiting  Bimba  and  Calabar,  and  spending 
some  time  at  Fernando  Po,  he  returned  to  England. 

The  command  of  the  expedition  now  devolved  upon  Mr. 
Oldfield.  Immediately  after  the  departure  of  Mr.  Laird,  he 


68 


Africa : Past  a?id  Present. 


and  Lander  determined  to  ascend  the  Tchadda,  hoping  to 
reach  by  that  channel  the  great  lake  Tchad.  They  found  the 
shores  to  vary  much  in  their  appearance,  but  in  general  neither 
so  fertile  nor  so  populous  as  those  of  the  Niger.  In  passing 
near  Funda,  they  received  a visit  from  the  king’s  daughter, 
with  whom  they  were  greatly  pleased.  On  ascending  higher, 
the  natives  seemed  alarmed  at  the  visit  of  the  strangers,  and  at 
two  contiguous  towns,  Dagboh  and  Obohbe,  the  chiefs  had  fled, 
and  only  one  sent  his  daughter,  ten  or  eleven  years  old,  with 
no  attire  except  a girdle  of  beads,  to  represent  him.  They 
landed  at  the  former  place,  and  found  it  a town  of  considerable 
extent,  and  the  streets  well  stocked  with  sheep,  goats,  and 
poultry ; but  all  the  inhabitants  had  disappeared  except  two, 
who  earnestly  beckoned  them  to  depart.  Being  thus  cut  off 
from  intercourse  with  the  natives,  their  provisions  became 
scarce  , and  seeing  no  prospect  of  trade  or  further  exploration 
with  advantage  in  this  direction,  after  they  had  ascended  the 
Tchadda  to  a distance  of  104  miles  from  its  confluence  with 
the  Niger,  they  returned  to  their  former  station. 

The  season  having  at  length  arrived  for  the  periodical  rise  of 
the  waters  of  the  Niger,  our  adventurers  resolved  upon  another 
attempt  to  ascend  the  mighty  stream  to  a higher  point  than 
they  had  yet  reached.  On  this  voyage,  the  river,  with  its  banks, 
presented  to  the  view  a magnificent  appearance.  Villages  were 
numerous,  and  the  mountain  slopes,  as  well  as  the  valleys,  were 
highly  cultivated.  The  people,  moreover,  were  friendly  and  cour- 
teous ; and,  although  they  flocked  in  crowds  on  board  the  steamer 
to  gratify  their  curiosity,  each  visitor  was  no  sooner  required  to 
bring  a bundle  of  firewood  than  they  cheerfully  complied  with 
the  rule,  and  thus  abundance  of  fuel  was  provided  without 
expense  or  loss  of  time.  Great  excitement  was  caused  among 
the  natives  by  the  appearance  of  the  steamer  as  she  pushed  her 
way  up  the  river  against  wind  and  tide.  On  reaching  Egga 
Mr.  Oldfield  met  with  a kindly  reception  from  Ederesa  the 
king  ; and,  on  examining  the  city,  found  it  much  more  exten- 
sive and  populous  than  he  had  supposed.  Soon  after  leaving 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


69 


this  place  they  met  a canoe  sent  by  the  king  of  Rabba  to 
inquire  if  they  were  the  same  Christians  who  were  at  Sackatoo 
about  two  years  before,  and  to  ascertain  the  object  of  their 
mission.  On  learning  the  friendly  and  pacific  nature  of  their 
journey,  the  messengers  returned  with  joy  to  give  their  report 
to  their  royal  master. 

The  expedition  soon  afterwards  came  in  sight  of  Rabba, 
which  appeared  to  be  a city  of  immense  extent,  built  on  rising 
ground,  and  resembling  an  amphitheatre.  A vast  crowd  of 
natives  assembled  to  witness  the  arrival  of  the  strangers.  The 
English  fired  a salute,  this  being  the  first  time  that  the  report 
of  a cannon  had  been  heard  on  the  Upper  Niger ; and  the  next 
morning  they  found  horses  waiting  to  convey  them  to  the 
palace.  The  streets  were  narrow  and  excessively  dirty,  but  they 
passed  through  a spacious  market-place,  fitted  for  the  sale  of 
wood,  cloth,  indigo,  slaves,  and  other  articles,  of  which  there 
was  an  abundant  supply.  The  royal  residence  consisted  of 
about  thirty  ordinary  huts,  each  surmounted  by  an  ostrich  egg, 
and  enclosed  by  a high  wall  of  mud.  After  passing  through 
several  apartments,  they  came  to  the  palaver-house,  where  about 
a hundred  chiefs  were  seated  cross-legged,  having  the  whole 
head  except  the  eyes  enveloped  in  muslin  robes.  They  could 
not  for  some  time  discover  who  was  the  king,  but  found  him 
at  length  in  the  person  of  Osiman,  who  was  sitting  plainly 
dressed  among  the  others.  This  temporary  concealment  of  the 
monarch  is  the  common  policy  in  Africa,  adopted  from  fear  of 
treasonable  designs  on  the  part  of  visitors.  The  king,  who 
proved  to  be  a shrewd,  intelligent  man,  received  the  presents 
which  were  offered  him  with  perfect  complacency ; but,  accord- 
ing to  African  etiquette,  had  them  removed  without  taking 
much  notice  of  them.  During  the  interview  several  ladies 
came  and  peeped  at  the  strangers  ; but,  on  being  seen,  scam- 
pered away  laughing.  At  first  the  king,  like  most  African 
potentates,  seemed  anxious  for  trade ; but,  as  usual,  on  a one- 
sided system.  He  wished  to  have  everything  he  saw  in  the 
possession  of  the  white  men,  and  promised  abundance  of  ivory 


70 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


in  exchange  ; but  very  little  of  it  was  produced,  and  no  business 
of  consequence  was  transacted.  Soon  after  leaving  Rabba  the 
expedition  descended  the  Niger  and  sailed  for  Fernando  Po, 
where  it  arrived  on  the  3rd  of  November,  1833. 

In  accordance  with  instructions  from  home,  arrangements 
were  made  soon  afterwards  for  a fresh  expedition  up  the  Niger. 
Mr.  Oldfield,' in  the  Alburkah,  was  to  lead  the  way;  whilst 
Lander,  in  the  Quorra,  went  to  Cape  Coast  and  Akrah  for  a 
supply  of  cowries  and  goods  for  barter.  The  former  forthwith 
sailed  up  to  Iddah.  Some  time  Avas  spent  there  in  the  hope  of 
opening  an  advantageous  trade  with  the  king  and  people.  This, 
however,  resulted  in  disappointment,  as  before.  Mr.  Oldfield 
then  ascended  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tchadda,  and,  having  visited 
the  ivory  market,  where  he  carried  on  some  small  traffic,  he 
returned  down  the  river  to  look  after  the  other  members  of  the 
expedition.  He  had  already  received  information  that  Lander 
had  been  attacked  and  wounded  by  a large  body  of  warlike 
natives ; and  on  reaching  the  estuary  of  the  Niger  he  learned 
all  the  particulars  of  the  sad  tragedy.  That  gentleman,  who 
had  come  up  with  two  boats  and  a stock  of  valuable  articles, 
was,  at  a town  named  Hyammah,  assailed  by  the  combined 
inhabitants  of  that  and  two  other  places.  Three  of  his  men 
were  shot,  several  wounded,  and  he  himself  received  a ball  in 
the  thigh,  which,  though  at  first  it  appeared  not  dangerous, 
proved  ultimately  fatal.  A boat,  a canoe,  and  most  of  the 
goods  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  brigands.  A lady  and  her 
child  were  also  captured,  but  afterwards  redeemed.  Mr.  Old- 
field, in  passing  the  place  on  his  way  downward,  was  careful  to 
keep  the  steam  in  full  action,  and  the  vessel  in  the  middle  of 
the  river;  yet  200  men  rushed  from  behind  a bank  and  com- 
menced firing,  which  they  continued  as  long  as  the  bark  was 
in  sight.  He  was  afraid  to  retaliate,  lest  his  vessel  should  run 
aground  and  his  people  be  overpowered  by  numbers.  On  the 
9th  of  June,  1834,  he  reached  Fernando  Po,  and  on  the  8th 
of  November  his  arrival  at  Falmouth  closed  this  chequered  and, 
on  the  whole,  unfortunate  expedition. 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  71 

COULTHURST  AND  DaVIDSON. 

Whilst  the  expeditions  for  exploring  the  interior  of  Africa 
which  have  just  passed  under  review  were  pursuing  their  arduous 
labours,  efforts  were  made  in  the  same  direction  by  individual 
travellers  which  are  worthy  of  a passing  notice.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  year  1832  there  arrived  at  St.  Mary’s,  on  the  river 
Gambia,  where  the  present  writer  was  then  resident,  two  young 
men  who  had  left  England  with  the  intention  of  becoming 
African  travellers.  One  of  them  became  disheartened  on  first 
seeing  the  country,  and  returned  home  almost  immediately; 
but  the  other,  Mr.  Coulthurst,  possessed  more  courage,  and 
resolved  to  proceed  alone.  I had  much  conversation  with  this 
gentleman,  who  was  intelligent  and  courteous  ; and  having  just 
returned  from  a voyage  up  the  Gambia,  and  seen  some  old 
native  chiefs  who  remembered  Mungo  Park’s  passing  through 
the  country,  I was  able  to  give  him  several  items  of  information 
which  he  highly  prized.  From  reading  Herodotus,  Mr.  Coul- 
thurst had  conceived  the  idea  that  the  one  great  river  of  Africa, 
mentioned  by  that  historian,  meant  the  connection  of  the  Niger 
with  the  Nile,  as  one  continued  stream ; and  that  by  ascending 
the  one  he  might  continue  his  voyage  and  sail  down  the  other, 
and  thus  triumphantly  prove  their  identity  as  “ the  father  of 
African  waters.”  The  fancied  connection  of  these  great  rivers 
he  traced  with  his  pen  on  a map  of  Africa  now  before  me,  and 
set  himself  the  task  of  proving  its  reality  by  personal  observation. 

The  plan  of  Mr.  Coulthurst  was  to  purchase  a canoe,  ascend 
the  Niger,  which  the  Landers  had  proved  to  have  its  numerous 
mouths  in  the  Bight  of  Benin,  trace  its  mysterious  connection 
with  the  Nile,  and  sail  down  that  river  to  the  Mediterranean. 
For  this  purpose  heobtained  a passage  on  board  H.M.S.  Plujnper, 
which  was  about  to  sail  for  the  Gulf  of  Guinea.  His  last  night 
at  the  Gambia  was  spent  at  the  Mission  House  at  Bathurst, 
where  he  slept  upon  a sofa.  We  conversed  till  a late  hour,  and 
bowed  together  at  the  family  altar.  The  next  morning,  after 
breakfast,  he  took  his  departure,  being  again  commended  to 
God  in  prayer.  We  heard  no  more  of  the  lonely  traveller  for 


72 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


several  months  ; but  at  length  the  mournful  tidings  came  that 
his  short  career  was  terminated.  From  the  account  received 
it  appeared  that  he  had  scarcely  commenced  his  adventurous 
journey  when  he  was  seized  with  malignant  fever,  under  which 
he  suffered  for  a few  days  and  then  expired,  finding  a grave 
in  African  soil.  Thus  was  another  victim  added  to  the  number 
of  those  who  had  fallen  in  their  attempts  to  explore  the  interior. 

The  design  of  penetrating  to  Timbuctu  from  the  north  was 
not  yet  relinquished ; and  the  task  was  undertaken  by  Mr. 
Davidson,  a respectable  medical  gentleman,  who  had  already 
travelled  in  different  quarters  of  the  world,  and  who  possessed 
courage,  strength,  and  address  which  seemed  peculiarly  to 
qualify  him  for  its  accomplishment.  He  embarked  in  Septem- 
ber, 1835,  for  Gibraltar;  but  found  a difficulty  in  penetrating 
to  Morocco,  because  of  the  jealousy  which  existed  with  reference 
to  strangers  from  Europe  going  there.  This  was  at  length 
overcome,  however,  in  virtue  of  the  traveller’s  medical  know- 
ledge, physicians  being  greatly  in  demand  at  that  time.  The 
jernperor  labouring  under  a severe  illness,  and  hearing  of 
Mr.  Davidson’s  skill,  sent  him  a kind  invitation  to  court,  and 
the  Kaid  of  Tangier  received  instructions  to  assist  him  on  his 
journey.  On  arriving  at  the  capital  he  found  his  services  wanted 
not  only  by  the  monarch,  but  by  all  the  sable  beauties  who 
adorned  his  court.  Every  morning,  after  waiting  on  his  majesty, 
he  was  presented  with  a list  of  the  ladies’  complaints,  with  the 
expectation  that  next  day  he  would  bring  a remedy  for  each ; 
and  thus  he  continued  to  prescribe  for  the  royal  household 
with  increasing  popularity  and  success  for  some  time. 

Under  these  circumstances  it  is  not  surprising  that  the 
traveller  found  considerable  difficulty  in  getting  away  from  the 
court  of  Morocco  when  he  wanted  to  leave.  It  was  not  till 
the  beginning  of  1836  that  he  was  permitted  to  depart.  In 
commencing  his  journey  he  attempted  to  take  the  most  direct 
route  across  the  chain  of  the  Atlas;  but  after  climbing  to  the 
height  of  5000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  he  was  arrested 
by  snow,  and  obliged  to  return  to  take  the  circuitous  way  of 


Recent  Advetiture  and  Discovery. 


73 


Mogadore.  Here  Mr.  Willshire,  the  British  consul,  exerted 
his  influence  in  a negotiation  with  the  sheik  of  Wadinoon  for 
his  safe  conveyance  to  Timbuctu.  The  chief  professed  the 
most  friendly  disposition ; but  alarming  tidings  came  to  hand 
of  murderous  attacks  by  wandering  marauders  in  the  desert. 
The  caravan  which  the  traveller  proposed  to  join  mustered 
uncommon  strength,  being  composed  of  a host  of  men  with 
400  horses  and  2,000  camels.  With  this  party  he  would  pro- 
bably have  been  safe,  but  he  decided  to  push  on  with  only 
four  companions ; and  the  first  letters  received  from  him  were 
written  in  high  spirits,  stating  that  he  hoped  to  spend  the  new 
year  at  Timbuctu.  However,  on  the  7 th  of  February,  Mr. 
Willshire  received  a letter  from  the  sheik  of  Wadinoon,  with  the 
mournful  intelligence  that  Mr.  Davidson  had  been  murdered 
in  the  desert.  This  melancholy  incident  was  rendered  more 
painful  by  the  circumstance  that  the  Moslem  chief  who  had 
undertaken  to  aid  and  protect  the  lonely  Englishman  was 
suspected  of  having  been  the  principal  means  of  his  lamented 
death. 


Niger  Expedition. 

The  next  effort  which  was  made  on  behalf  of  the  African 
race  was  one  of  great  magnitude,  and  the  sympathy  and  interest 
which  it  evoked  were  so  wide-spread  that  it  assumed  almost  a 
national  importance.  An  expedition  was  organized  under  the 
direction  and  at  the  expense  of  the  British  Government,  the 
object  of  which  was  not  merely  to  explore  the  interior  of  the 
vast  continent,  and  promote  the  interests  of  art  and  science, 
but  especially  to  check,  and  if  possible  to  annihilate,  the  slave 
trade  by  the  substitution  of  legitimate  commerce,  and  the 
advancement  of  civilization  and  social  improvement ; and  thus 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  propagation  of  Christianity.  For 
this  purpose  treaties  were  to  be  formed  with  native  princes ; 
encouragement  was  to  be  given  to  trade  and  agricultural  pur- 
suits; and  schools  and  Christian  missions  were  to  be  established 
as  openings  presented  themselves.  The  river  Niger,  which 


74 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


had  been  partially  explored  and  made  kno*vn  to  the  British 
public  by  previous  expeditions,  was  to  be  the  highway  to  the 
interior,  for  it  was  still  believed  that  it  might  be  successfully 
navigated  by  vessels  of  light  draught,  at  the  proper  season  of 
the  year ; and  the  native  tribes  of  the  interior,  so  far  as  known, 
appeared  to  be  on  the  whole  peaceable  and  well-disposed. 

The  Niger  Expedition  consisted  of  three  steamers — the  Albert, 
Wiiber/orce,  and  Soudan,  with  the  Harriet  transport  and  Amelia 
tender — which  were  well  adapted  for  river  navigation,  and  care- 
fully fitted  up  with  every  appliance  likely  to  promote  the  health 
and  comfort  of  the  officers  and  men  in  the  trying  climate  to 
which  they  were  going.  There  were  on  board  these  ships  about 
300  souls,  officers  and  men,  all  told,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Bird  Allen.  They  left  England  in  the  early  part  of 
the  year  1841,  followed  by  the  prayers  of  tens  of  thousands, 
arrangements  having  been  made  by  various  churches  to  hold 
special  meetings  for  the  purpose  of  commending  the  members 
of  the  expedition  to  the  care  and  protection  of  Almighty  God, 
and  to  implore  His  blessing  upon  the  important  objects  which 
.it  had  in  view.  On  their  way  down  the  coast  the  vessels  called 
at  Sierra  Leone,  Liberia,  Cape  Coast  Castle,  and  other  places  ; 
and  at  every  settlement  an  interest  was  excited  such  as  had 
never  been  seen  before,  as  the  expedition  was  known  to  be  of 
a more  decidedly  philanthropic  and  religious  character  than 
any  of  its  predecessors. 

The  little  fleet  arrived  off  the  river  Nun  on  the  9th  and  loth 
of  August.  In  unloading  the  transport  they  were  detained  some 
time,  owing  to  the  rolling  of  the  vessels  in  the  heavy  swell 
outside  the  bar.  A further  detention  arose  when  they  had 
crossed  tKe  bar,  from  the  necessity  of  refitting  the  tails  of  the 
rudders,  which  had  been  carried  away  on  the  passage  from  Cape 
Coast,  and  without  which  the  vessels  were  almost  unmanageable. 
These  repairs,  the  badness  of  the  weather,  and  the  strength  of 
the  tide,  detained  the  expedition  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  for 
ten  days, — a circumstance  to  be  regretted  on  many  grounds. 

This  unavoidable  delay  does  not,  however,  appear  to  have 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


75 


positively  injured  the  health  of  the  crews,  as  they  enjoyed  a 
wholesome  sea-breeze,  and  every  precaution  was  taken  to 
preserve  them  from  illness.  Up  to  this  period  there  had  been 
seven  deaths  since  the  expedition  left  England — not,  however, 
attributable  to  the  climate  : four  of  them  were  from  casualties, 
one  of  apoplexy,  and  two  from  fever  (not  African,  but  typhus). 
Of  these  last,  one  only  was  a European.  Under  these  com- 
paratively favourable  circumstances  the  steamers  commenced 
their  ascent  of  the  Niger  on  the  20th  of  August,  with  sanguine 
hopes  of  success.  Their  progress  was  necessarily  slow,  as  they 
did  not  ordinarily  make  more  than  six  miles  an  hour,  and  the 
current  ran  at  the  rate  of  three  against  them.  They  were 
delayed  still  further  by  looking  for  the  Wilberforce^  which  had 
gone  up  a different  channel.  Thus  the  22nd  (Sunday)  was 
spent,  and  at  last  it  was  found  that  she  had  gone  ahead.  The 
vessels  rejoined  at  Eboe  on  the  26th,  and  no  inconvenience 
was  experienced  beyond  the  loss  of  time.  This  deviation  was, 
however,  the  means  of  discovering  a new  branch  of  the  river, 
with  numerous  villages  and  a larger  population  than  had  yet 
been  seen. 

Six  days  after  leaving  Eboe  the  expedition  arrived  at  Iddah, 
when  the  African  fever  broke  out  among  the  crews  of  all  the 
vessels  with  great  virulence,  and  continued  its  ravages  till  they 
reached  the  confluence,  a distance  of  270  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  On  the  17th  of  September  the  sick  list  exhibited 
a total  of  seventy  cases,  whilst  eight  had  died.  In  consequence 
of  this  alarming  sickness,  and  their  inability  to  examine  the 
higher  grounds  for  a healthy  station,  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  send  the  sick  to  the  sea-side.  Forty-three  of  the  worst  cases 
were,  therefore,  put  on  board  the  Soudan  on  the  I'jth,  and 
steaming  down  the  stream  as  rapidly  as  possible,  she  reached 
the  sea  on  the  22nd.  On  the  passage  down  the  surgeon  of  the 
Soudan  and  one  seaman  died.  They  had  the  good  fortune 
to  fall  in  with  H.M.S.  Dolphin,  on  board  of  which  the  rest  of 
the  patients  were  embarked,  and  she  set  sail  at  once  for 
the  island  of  Ascension.  On  the  passage  thither  eight  more 


76  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

died,  but  the  rest  recovered  in  a most  rapid  and  remarkable 
manner. 

It  appears  that  up  to  this  time  about  one-eighth  of  the  entire 
number  of  Europeans  employed  in  the  expedition  had  died ; 
but  they  were  chiefly  sailors  before  the  mast.  The  mortality 
among  the  ofificers  and  upper  classes  was  less  ; the  scientific 
men  having  suffered  but  slightly,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Muller 
and  Schon,  the  missionaries,  not  at  all.  The  leaders  of  the 
enterprise  were  not  discouraged ; for  great  as  had  been  their 
sufferings,  they  saw  that  they  were  light  compared  with  those 
of  previous  exploring  parties.  They  therefore  proceeded  as 
best  they  could  to  carry  out  the  objects  of  the  undertaking 
with  the  means  which  were  still  left  at  their  disposal.  They 
formed  treaties  with  several  of  the  most  powerful  native  kings 
and  chiefs,  for  the  promotion  of  legitimate  commerce,  and  the 
entire  abolition  of  the  slave  trade  and  human  sacrifices  ; they 
purchased  a tract  of  ground,  sixteen  miles  in  length  and  six  in 
width,  dry  and  elevated,  including  a mountain  adapted  for  a 
settlement  and  sanatorium ; and  they  laid  out  a model  farm 
for  the  instruction  of  the  natives  in  improved  methods  of  agri- 
culture. At  the  same  time  the  missionaries  and  linguists  were 
busy  with  preparatory  and  elementary  work,  with  a view  to 
promote  the  moral  and  religious  welfare  of  the  natives. 

It  is  painful  to  have  to  record  the  comparative  failure  of  an 
expedition  which  had  been  so  well  planned  and  so  vigorously 
conducted  as  the  one  we  have  briefly  described;  but  it  is  a 
mournful  fact  that,  notwithstanding  the  enormous  expense 
which  it  involved,  and  the  numerous  advantages  which  it 
possessed,  it  did  not  succeed  as  was  expected,  or  accomplish 
the  amount  of  good  which  its  warmest  friends  and  patrons 
desired.  No  blame  is  to  be  attributed  to  any  one,  for  it 
developed,  in  various  classes  of  its  members,  a measure  of 
Christian  courage,  zeal,  and  endurance  worthy  of  the  highest 
commendation.  The  great  obstacle  to  success  was  the  climate, 
which  in  this  instance,  as  in  many  others,  proved  seriously 
injurious  to  the  health  and  constitutions  of  Europeans,  and 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


77 


trying  even  to  native  Africans  not  accustomed  to  the  swampy 
and  pestilential  regions  of  the  coast.  After  the  number  of  men 
had  been  reduced  by  the  deaths  and  removal  of  invalids  which 
we  have  mentioned,  fever  broke  out  again  on  board  the 
exploring  vessels,  and  many  more  were  added  to  the  list  of  the 
dead,  whilst  the  survivors  were  most  of  them  unfit  for  active 
duty.  Consequently,  after  vainly  struggling  on  for  a few 
months  longer,  the  steamers  descended  the  river,  returned  to 
England,  and  the  undertaking  was  relinquished. 

Barth,  Krapf,  and  Rebmann. 

Few  travellers  have  manifested  greater  zeal  and  earnestness 
in  the  cause  of  African  discovery,  or  done  more  for  the  benefit 
of  the  negro  race,  than  Dr.  Barth,  an  intelligent  and  enter- 
prising German,  who  headed  an  expedition,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  British  Government,  for  the  exploration  of  the  interior 
of  the  north-western  portion  of  the  great  continent,  in  1849, 
and  whose  journals,  in  five  large  octavo  volumes,  are  a noble 
monument  of  his  linguistic  and  scientific  ability.  He  was  first 
associated  with  Richardson  and  Overweg  in  a journey  under- 
taken with  a view  to  establish  friendly  relations  with  the 
leading  potentates  and  chiefs  on  the  Niger  and  Lake  Tchad, 
and  thus,  if  possible,  to  put  an  end  to  the  slave  trade  by 
promoting  legitimate  commerce  and  civilization.  Richardson 
died  in  March,  1851,  at  a place  within  one  hundred  miles  of 
Kuka  ; and  Overweg,  after  exploring  a portion  of  Lake  Tchad, 
and  visiting  the  Biddumas,  who  dwell  on  its  islands,  also  expired 
on  the  20th  of  September,  1852,  near  Kuka.  Thenceforth  the 
main  burden  of  the  mission  fell  upon  Dr.  Barth,  who,  although 
alone,  unsupported,  and  frequently  left  without  resources, 
pursued  his  hazardous  and  laborious  researches  with  the 
plodding  industry,  pertinacity,  and  minute  exactness  charac- 
teristic of  his  countrymen. 

Following  a route  considerably  to  the  west  of  the  direct  path 
to  Bornou,  the  Doctor  passed  through  Ghat  and  Air,  two 


78  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

important  oases  and  centres  of  trade  in  the  hands  of  the 
Tarwick  tribes,  of  whose  history  and  habits  he  gives  ample 
information.  In  the  course  of  his  researches  he  found  the 
Fellatah  states  on  the  Niger  nominally  subject  to  the  sultan  of 
Sackatoo,  whilst  Bornou  was  under  the  rule  of  an  Arab  sheik. 
The  unsettled  state  of  the  country  increased  the  difficulties  of 
Dr.  Barth’s  enterprise ; but  he  succeeded  in  exploring  Lake 
Tchad  and  its  southern  border-land.  The  lake  was  found  to 
be  a mere  lagoon  of  no  great  depth,  about  four  hundred  miles 
in  circumference,  and  contains  numerous  islands,  inhabited  by 
a wild  race  of  natives  called  Biddumas.  The  shores  are  low 
and  swampy  for  a considerable  distance,  and  abound  in  croco- 
diles and  hippopotami ; elephants,  also,  are  found  in  great 
numbers  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  river  Shary  enters  the 
lake  from  the  south,  and  the  VVaube  from  the  west. 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  1854,  Dr.  Barth  made  his  great  dis- 
covery of  the  Benuwe  river,  which  is  identical  with  the  eastern 
branch  of  the  Upper  Niger.  This  river  was  found  to  be  800 
yards  broad,  1 1 feet  deep,  and  liable  to  rise  30  or  even  50  feet 
higher  after  the  rainy  season  in  August  and  September.  Here 
were  found  “extensive  fertile  plains,  about  1000  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  intersected  by  innumerable  broad  water- 
courses favourable  to  inland  navigation”;  and  the  traveller 
expresses  a confident  belief  that  within  fifty  years  European 
boats  would  keep  up  a regular  annual  intercourse  between  the 
Bay  of  Biyafra  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  these  populous  and 
fertile  regions. 

We  pass  over  the  Doctor’s  account  of  his  adventures  in  con- 
nection with  certain  slave-hunting  expeditions  which  he  joined 
— very  unwisely  as  we  think — that  he  might  see  more  of  the 
country  and  the  people ; and  follow  him  in  his  course  through 
Gondo,  Gurma,  Masina  and  other  places,  to  Saragamo,  and 
thence  to  Timbuctu,  which  he  reached  on  the  7th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1854.  In  this  celebrated  city  of  interior  Africa  he 
spent  seven  months  ; and,  more  fortunate  than  some  of  his  pre- 
decessors, he  was  permitted  to  leave  it  alive,  in  the  month  of 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


79 


April,  1855.  The  description  which  he  gives  ofTimbuctu,  and 
the  narrative  of  his  return  journey  along  the  north-eastern  bank 
of  the  Niger,  are  full  of  interest,  and  we  regret  that  our  limited 
space  forbids  enlargement.  It  must  suffice  to  say  that,  after  all 
the  splendid  accounts  we  have  received  of  the  Niger,  we  fear 
that  the  fact  of  the  rapids  and  rocks  at  Kerdaji,  Akarambray, 
and  Tosaye,  and  probably  in  other  places  mentioned  by  this 
traveller,  will  prove  serious  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  con- 
tinuous navigation  of  its  upper  section. 

Dr.  Barth  arrived  at  Say  on  his  return,  on  the  29th  of  July, 
passed  through  Wurno,  Kano,  and  Kukawa,  where  he  met  with 
Dr.  Vogel,  who  had  been  sent  to  reinforce  the  expedition,  and 
reached  Tripoli  in  the  month  of  August,  1856,  having  per- 
formed the  most  extensive  and  important  journey  ever  made 
in  North  Central  Africa  by  a European  traveller. 

The  discoveries  of  Dr.  Barth  were  followed  up  in  after  years 
in  a more  easterly  direction  by  his  fellow  countryman.  Dr. 
Krapf,  who  had  previously  been  employed  as  a missionary  in 
Abyssinia  and  Eastern  Africa,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society.  Failing  health  obliged  him  to  return  to 
Europe  in  1855  ; but,  after  he  was  settled  in  a position  of  ease 
and  comfort  in  his  native  land,  the  spirit  of  missionary  enter- 
prise and  discovery  came  over  him  again  with  such  power  that, 
casting  a longing  eye  towards  the  scene  of  his  former  labours 
and  sufferings,  he  was  induced  once  more  to  devote  himself 
to  exploration  and  evangelistic  work  among  the  poor  despised 
Africans.  The  large  and  powerful  tribe  known  as  the  Gallas, 
with  whom  the  Doctor  had  become  acquainted  in  the  course  of 
his  former  mission,  was  now  the  object  of  his  chief  solicitude. 
These  people  he  sought  to  reach  first  through  Abyssinia,  next 
through  Shoa,  and  lastly  by  preliminary  labours  among  the 
Wanika  tribes  on  the  east  coast  near  Mombaz.  In  voyaging 
along  the  eastern  coast  of  the  great  continent,  he  visited  in 
succession  Magadoxo,  Kiloa,  Barava,  Milinda,  Mombaz,  and 
Zanzibar,  all  of  which  he  describes  in  a most  interesting 
manner.  At  length  he  fixed  himself  at  Rabbi-Mpia,  where 


8o 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


he  was  joined  by  his  fellow-countryman  Mr.  Rebmann,  and 
their  united  labours  were  made  a blessing  to  the  native  tribes, 
who  are  here  called  Wamrima  and  Washinzi ; whilst  at  the 
same  time  they  made  some  interesting  discoveries  in  different 
directions. 

Dr.  Krapfs  great  object  being  to  find  access  as  soon  as 
possible  to  the  Gallas,  he  and  his  colleague  undertook  several 
journeys  into  the  interior  through  regions  until  then  unvisited 
by  Europeans.  Mr.  Rebmann’s  first  journey,  commenced  in 
October,  1847,  was  through  the  Teita  country,  over  extensive 
plains,  to  the  mountain  known  as  the  Kadiaro,  said  to  be 
thirty-six  leagues  from  Mombaz.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
following  year  he  visited  the  Jagga  country,  about  a hundred 
leagues  from  Mombaz.  The  great  event  of  this  journey  was 
a view  of  Mount  Kilimanjaro,  wth  its  covering  of  perpetual 
snow.  This  singular  mountain  was  also  seen  by  Dr.  Krapf,  on 
the  loth  of  November,  1849,  when  on  his  way  to  Ukambani, 
and  again  on  his  second  journey  to  the  same  place  in  1851. 
There  is  also  in  this  region  a second  snow-capped  mountain 
called  Kenia,  and  near  it  a volcano  on  a mountain,  from  which 
smoke  was  seen  to  proceed.  These  were  distinctly  seen  by 
Dr.  Krapf  on  the  3rd  of  December,  1849.  The  Doctor 
afterwards  visited  Ukambani,  a mountainous  country  to  the 
north  of  Jagga,  and  obtained  much  valuable  intelligence 
respecting  the  Wakuafi  and  Masi  tribes  inhabiting  the  regions 
beyond. 

The  information  collected  in  these  journeys  by  Dr.  Krapf 
and  Mr.  Rebmann  respecting  the  existence  of  a large  inland 
sea  was  incorporated  in  a map  published  in  the  Proceedings 
of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  in  which  the  most  striking 
feature  was  a lake  of  a curious  shape,  extending  through  twelve 
degrees  of  latitude.  The  devoted  missionary  explorers  were 
not  permitted  to  verify  the  reports  they  had  received  of  these 
matters  by  personal  inspection,  their  evangelical  labours 
demanding  their  immediate  attention;  and  it  was  left  to  others 
to  make  the  real  discovery. 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery,  8i 

Burton  and  Speke. 

The  object  of  the  expedition  of  Major  Burton  and  Captain 
Speke  was  to  test  the  accuracy  of  the  data  furnished  and  the 
general  information  given  by  Dr.  Krapf  and  Mr.  Rebmann 
with  reference  to  the  alleged  existence  of  certain  great  lakes 
and  mountains  in  the  interior  regions  of  Eastern  Africa.  The 
result  of  their  explorations  was  complete  success,  with  regard 
to  the  main  purpose  of  their  enterprise.  The  journey  in’and 
commenced  on  the  27th  of  January,  1857,  at  Karle,  a small 
town  south  of  the  Kingani  river,  opposite  Zanzibar.  The 
personnel  of  the  expedition  was  as  choice  as  circumstances 
would  permit : “ bad  enough  at  best.”  In  addition  to  two  or 
three  domestic  servants  brought  from  Bombay,  the  travellers 
were  attended  by  an  escort  of  thirteen  Baloch  men,  twenty  two 
negro  slaves,  and  twenty-five  asses, — “ a mass  of  savagery 
which  proved  a severe  trial  of  temper.” 

The  maritime  region,  extending  from  the  coast  to  Zungomero, 
about  ninety-two  miles  in  a direct  line,  was  crossed  in  about 
twelve  days.  The  mountain  region,  comprising  the  Usagara 
chain,  consists  of  parallel  ridges  separated  by  plains  ; it  begins 
at  Zungomero,  and  ends  at  the  edge  of  the  flat  table-land  of 
Ugogo,  a distance  of  about  eighty-five  geographical  miles. 
The  highest  points  of  this  part  of  the  chain  of  mountains, 
which  extends  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  to  the  Gulf  of  Aden,  are  from  5000  to  7000  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  and  the  climate  is  said  to  be  cold  and  damp. 
The  arid  table-land  of  Ugogo,  the  general  level  of  which  is 
4000  feet,  reaches  to  the  eastern  districts  of  the  Unyam wezi, 
155  miles,  and  is  the  counterpart  of  the  Kalahari  and  Karoo 
deserts  of  South  Africa.  Excepting  a few  favoured  spots,  it 
has  no  cultivation,  no  wood,  no  river, — a perfect  wilderness. 

Our  travellers  reached  Kazeh,  a principal  town  of  the 
Unyam  wezi,  and  an  Arab  trading  depot  whence  various  trading 
routes  diverge,  on  the  7th  of  November,  1857,  after  journeying 
134  days  from  the  coast.  From  Kazeh  the  land  falls  by  a 

6 


82 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


gentle  decline  westward.  It  is  highly  cultivated,  and  produces 
cotton,  rice,  sweet  cane,  etc.  Cotton  cloth  is  manufactured  here, 
and  is  in  general  use  for  the  loose  wrappers  worn  by  the  natives 
when  in  full  dress.  On  proceeding  forward.  Major  Burton 
was  seized  with  paralysis  of  the  lower  extremities,  accompanied 
by  partial  loss  of  sight.  With  indomitable  perseverance  he 
nevertheless  pursued  his  journey,  carried  in  a hammock ; and 
on  the  2nd  of  February,  1858,  he  was  rewarded  with  the  sight 
of  the  long-sought  lake  Tanganyika,  “ as  it  lay  in  the  lap  of 
the  mountains,  basking  in  the  gorgeous  tropical  sunshine.”  A 
large  crescent-shaped  mass  of  mountains  to  the  north  of  the  lake 
was  considered  by  Captain  Speke  to  be  the  true  Mountains  of 
the  Moon  ; but  Major  Burton  denies  the  existence  of  anything 
beyond  “a  thin  range  of  hills  fringing  the  Tanganyika.” 

The  exploration  of  the  lake  occupied  the  travellers  from  the 
loth  of  April  to  the  13th  of  May,  and  was  accomplished  with 
great  difficulty.  It  was  estimated  to  be  250  miles  long  and 
20  wide,  with  a circumference  of  550  miles.  Uruwwa,  a 
country  west  of  the  Tanganyika,  is  said  to  be  the  terminus  of 
the  Arab  trade  in  that  direction.  The  journey  from  the  sea- 
coast  to  Ujiji,  on  the  lake,  travellers  usually  make  in  eighty-five 
to  a hundred  stages,  540  miles  direct,  but  955  travelled  miles. 

Returning  to  Kazeh,  Major  Burton  halted  to  recruit,  while 
Captain  Speke  went  direct  northward  to  the  southern  extremity 
of  the  large  lake  Victoria  N’yanza,  of  which  information  had 
been  received  at  Kazeh,  on  the  journey  from  the  coast.  Of 
this  discovery  Captain  Speke  gave  a particular  account  in 
Blackwood’s  Magazine  for  September,  October,  and  November, 
1859  ; and  Major  Burton  published  the  result  of  his  obser- 
vations in  a volume  entitled  “ The  Lake  Regions  of  Central 
Africa.”  These  two  narratives  may  be  read  with  interest,  and 
compared  with  each  other,  as  the  eminent  travellers  vary  in 
their  views  on  some  important  matters.  In  the  opinion  ot 
Captain  Speke,  founded  on  native  information,  a large  river 
flows  from  the  northern  end  of  the  N’yanza,  connecting  it  with 
the  Tubiri,  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  the  Nile ; but  this 


I..AKF  TANGANVIk*  A AS  SKK\  FROM  TIfR  SOI’TH.  \ /*a^e  $2 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  83 

was  doubted  by  some  distinguished  geographers,  and  flatly 
contradicted  by  Major  Burton,  till  the  problem  was  solved  by 
subsequent  travellers. 

Our  limited  space  has  not  permitted  us  to  introduce  our 
readers  to  the  Wazaramo,  the  Wasagara,  the  Wagogo,  the 
Wanyamizi,  the  Wajiji,  and  other  interior  tribes,  with  whom  the 
travellers  came  in  contact ; but  we  may  observe,  in  passing,  that 
they  share  in  common  with  other  natives  of  South-eastern 
Africa  numerous  features  of  a general  family  likeness.  Some 
interesting  information,  collected  from  Arab  traders,  respecting 
the  northern  kingdoms  of  Karagwah,  Uganda,  and  Unyoro,  to 
the  west  and  north  of  N’yanza  lake,  leads  to  the  inference  that 
Central  Africa,  when  more  fully  explored,  will  be  found  to 
contain  numerous  despotic  kingdoms,  similar  to  that  of  the 
Balonda  people,  with  whom  Dr.  Livingstone  became  acquainted 
at  an  early  period  of  his  travels. 

Major  Burton  and  Captain  Speke,  with  their  companions  in 
travel,  returned  in  safety  to  Zanzibar  on  the  3rd  of  February, 
1859,  and  the  expedition  was  regarded  on  all  hands  as  having 
been  crowned  with  complete  success. 

Speke,  Grant,  and  Baker. 

The  discovery  of  great  lakes  and  of  fertile  and  populous 
regions  in  Central  Africa,  by  the  successive  expeditions  whose 
adventures  have  passed  under  review,  was  hailed  with  delight 
by  scientific  men  in  Europe.  But  instead  of  satisfying  the 
curiosity  of  the  inquisitive,  it  only  served  to  excite  it  to  a 
higher  pitch  of  enterprise.  Nor  were  the  explorers  them- 
selves satisfied  with  what  they  had  done.  Captain  Speke  was 
impressed  with  the  conviction  that  the  lake  called  Victoria 
N’yanza,  which  he  had  discovered  in  1859,  would,  on  further 
examination,  prove  the  real  source  of  the  Nile.  This  idea 
soon  became  so  popular  that  the  Royal  Geographical  Society 
determined  to  send  him  out  again,  accompanied  by  Captain 
Grant,  that,  by  further  investigation,  they  might,  if  possible, 
solve  this  interesting  problem. 


84 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


This  new  expedition  left  England  in  April,  i860,  and  was 
absent  the  greater  part  of  three  years.  Entering  the  continent 
as  before  from  the  east  coast,  the  travellers  passed  through  two- 
thirds  of  the  entire  length  of  Africa,  and  descended  the  Nile 
to  Cairo.  As  the  result  of  this  remarkable  journey,  we  have  a 
large  tract  of  country  carefully  mapped  out,  hitherto  unknown 
to  the  civilized  world,  and  a new  route  opened  up  for  traders 
and  missionaries  to  the  fertile  regions  of  this  portion  of  Central 
Africa.  The  northern  shores  of  the  great  lake  were,  moreover, 
thoroughly  explored,  and  evidence  obtained  that  it  poured  its 
waters  into  the  White  Nile.  And  although  many  points  con- 
nected with  the  important  question  of  the  long-sought  source 
of  the  Nile  necessarily  remained  unsettled.  Captain  Speke  was 
confirmed  in  his  conviction  that  the  true  source  of  the  “ father 
of  waters”  was  the  Victoria  N’yanza,  which  thus,  in  its  magnifi- 
cent course,  rolls  over  “ thirty-four  degrees  of  latitude,  or  more 
than  2,300  miles,  being  one-eleventh  of  the  circumference  of 
the  globe.” 

The  incidents  of  this  expedition  of  Speke  and  Grant  are 
equal  in  interest  to  any  other  which  has  undertaken  to  explore 
the  interior  of  Africa ; and  we  regret  that  lack  of  space  prevents 
our  tracing  them  in  detail.  It  must  suffice  to  say  that  in  courage, 
tact,  and  indomitable  perseverance,  in  the  face  of  uncommon 
difficulties  and  dangers,  the  adventurous  travellers  have  seldom 
been  equalled,  and  never  surpassed ; whilst  their  graphic  de- 
scriptions of  the  native  tribes  with  which  they  came  in  contact, 
and  the  countries  through  which  they  journeyed,  are  not  only 
well  calculated  to  interest  the  general  reader,  but  also  likely  to 
add  to  the  knowledge  of  the  geographer  and  naturalist. 

Whilst  Speke  and  Grant  were  pushing  their  way  through 
Central  Africa,  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  Samuel)  Baker  was  sent  out 
to  explore  the  upper  regions  of  the  Nile  by  way  of  Egypt,  with  , 
the  hope  of  effecting  a junction  with  the  expedition  from  the 
east  coast.  In  this  journey  Baker  spent  twelve  months,  and 
made  some  interesting  and  important  discoveries  in  reference 
to  the  head  waters  of  the  Nile,  and  the  adjacent  countries, 


Recmt  Adventure  ayid  Discovery.  85 

which  he  describes  as  generally  low  and  swampy.  On  ap- 
proaching Gondokoro  the  scenery  improves,  the  marshes 
disappear,  the  banks  rise  some  four  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  stream,  the  stunted  mimosas  give  place  to  well-grown  trees, 
and  the  eye  is  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  mountains. 

At  this  point  Baker  and  his  party  met  the  expedition  of  Speke 
and  Grant  on  the  homeward  journey,  and  great  was  the  joy  of 
all  concerned  at  this  auspicious  event.  They  were  soon  after- 
wards joined  by  Consul  Petherick  and  his  wife,  and  Dr.  Murie, 
who  were  travelling  in  the  same  region.  There  were  also  on 
the  ground  three  priests  connected  with  the  Austrian  mission  ; 
so  that  the  number  of  Europeans  so  far  up  the  country  was 
without  a precedent.  In  about  ten  days  the  camp  broke  up, 
the  several  portions  of  it  taking  different,  and  indeed  contrary, 
routes ; and,  as  so  often  happens,  friends  parted  never  to  meet 
again  in  this  world.  It  is  melancholy  tO'  think  that  poor  Speke, 
after  passing  through  so  many  dangers  in  Africa,  should,  on 
reaching  home,  have  perished  by  a miserable  gun  accident, 
while  crossing  a field  on  his  father’s  estate  in  Somersetshire 
when  in  pursuit  of  game. 

Instead  of  travelling  direct  south,  as  he  intended.  Baker  was 
compelled  by  the  mutiny  of  his  men  to  leave  the  river  altogether, 
and  take  an  easterly  course,  trusting  to  the  chapter  of  accidents 
for  eventually  getting  southward.  This  part  of  the  journey, 
extending  over  eleven  months,  is  full  of  strange  interest.  The 
information  which  the  daring  adventurer  collected  in  reference 
to  the  civil,  social,  and  moral  condition  of  the  native  tribes 
with  which  he  came  in  contact,  is  less  favourable  than  that 
communicated  by  other  travellers ; but  some  allowance  must 
be  made  for  difference  in  men’s  temperaments,  as  well  as  for 
difference  of  tribes  and  localities. 

Sir  Samuel  Baker  resumed  his  explorations  in  the  upper 
regions  of  the  Nile  in  after  years,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Khedive  of  Egypt ; and,  with  his  heroic  lady,  passed  through 
scenes  of  daring  and  endurance  almost  without  a parallel  in  the 
history  of  African  discovery.  Some  of  the  journeys  were  under- 


86 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

taken  in  company  with  large  armed  escorts,  avowedly  for  the 
purpose  of  suppressing  the  slave  trade ; and,  although  we  may 
not  approve  of  all  that  was  done,  we  can  scarcely  fail  to  admire 
the  courage  and  perseverance  of  Sir  Samuel  and  Lady  Baker. 

Dr,  Livingstone. 

Among  the  host  of  travellers  and  explorers  who  have  exerted 
themselves  so  nobly  to  make  us  acquainted  mth  the  previously 
unknown  regions  and  peoples  of  Central  Africa,  the  very  fore- 
most place  must  be  given  to  Dr.  Livingstone.  We  now  proceed 
to  give  a brief  outline  of  the  remarkable  career  of  this  genuine 
friend  of  the  negro  race,  so  far  as  our  limited  space  will  permit. 

David  Livingstone  was  born  about  the  year  1817,  at  the 
village  of  Blantyre,  on  the  Clyde.  He  was  the  son  of  an 
honest,  hardy,  industrious  Scotchman,  who  put  him  to  work  as 
a piecer  in  a cotton-mill  at  the  early  age  of  ten.  In  his  boyhood 
little  David  was  fond  of  books,  and  as  he  grew  up  he  deter- 
mined to  be  a scholar.  By  the  labour  of  his  own  hands  he 
supported  himself  while  attending  the  medical  and  Greek  classes 
in  the  University  of  Glasgow  and  the  theological  lectures  of 
Dr.  Wardlaw.  At  length,  having  been  admitted  a licentiate 
of  the  Faculty  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  believing  himself 
to  be  called  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen,  he  offered 
himself  to  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  was  by  them 
accepted,  and  sent  to  South  Africa  in  the  year  1840. 

During  the  following  eight  years  Dr.  Livingstone  laboured 
as  a missionary  at  a station  called  Kolobeng,  situated  in  latitude 
25°  south  and  longitude  25°  east,  about  200  miles  north  of 
Kuruman,  the  station  occupied  by  the  Rev.  Robert  Moffat,  who 
in  due  time  became  his  father-in-law.  The  humble  missionary 
was  led  to  become  an  explorer  by  circumstances  which  appeared 
truly  providential.  The  vicinity  of  the  emigrant  Dutch  Boers, 
their  hostility  to  missionary  efforts,  and  their  determination  to 
shut  up  the  native  tribes  in  the  locality  of  Kolobeng  from  all 
intercourse  wnth  the  Cape  Colony,  led  the  thoughtful  and  ener- 
getic pioneer  evangelist  to  consider  whether  some  other  place 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  87 

might  not  be  found  more  eligible  for  a mission  station,  and 
one  that  would  have  the  additional  advantage  of  a navigable 
river  communicating  with  the  sea.  The  first  great  difficulty  to 
be  overcome  in  the  pursuit  of  these  advantages  was  to  cross 
the  dreaded  Kalahari  desert,  and  reach  the  lake  N’gami,  which 
the  natives  described  as  existing  beyond. 

With  this  object  in  view.  Dr.  Livingstone,  accompanied  by 
Messrs.  Oswell  and  Murray,  and  a few  native  attendants,  com- 
menced the  first  of  his  exploratory  journeys  on  the  ift  of  June, 
1849,  skirting  the  desert  as  far  as  possible,  rather  than  passing 
directly  through  it.  It  is  described  as  “by  no  means  destitute 
of  vegetation  and  inhabitants  ; for  it  is  covered  with  grass  and 
a great  variety  of  creeping  plants.”  It  has,  however,  no  running 
water,  and  very  little  in  wells.  Travellers  have  to  depend  upon 
the  wild  water  melons,  so  providentially  found  there,  for  liquid 
support  for  themselves  and  their  cat'le.  A journey  of  two 
months  over  this  arid  plain  was  followed  by  the  discovery,  first 
of  the  Zouga  river,  which  flows  from  Lake  N’gami,  and  then, 
on  the  I St  of  August,  of  the  lake  itself. 

In  his  second  journey  to  this  famous  lake,  which  commenced 
in  the  month  of  April,  1850,  Dr.  Livingstone  was  accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Livingstone  and  family,  and  by  the  chief  Sechele, 
hoping  to  be  able  to  pass  beyond  and  visit  Sebituane,  the  chief 
of  the  Makololo;  but  the  country  fever  which  'afflicted  the 
children  prevented  the  farther  prosecution  of  the  journey.  The 
adventurous  missionary  returned  to  his  station  at  Kolobeng 
with  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  had  a second  time 
accomplished  the  crossing  of  the  Desert,  which  had  hitherto 
been  deemed  impracticable,  and  had  found  a noble  river  and 
a fresh-water  lake  of  considerable  magnitude,  being  upwards  of 
seventy  miles  in  circumference. 

The  journey,  in  which  Dr.  I ivingstone  was  accompanied 
by  Mr.  Oswell  and  his  own  family,  commenced  in  the  spring 
of  1851.  The  route  followed  was  directly  north,  leaving  the 
lake  to  the  westward.  Great  sufferings  were  endured  on  this 
occasion  from  the  absence  of  water ; and  when  they  reached 


88 


A/rka : Past  avd  Present. 


the  Mababe  river  other  troubles  awaited  them.  THe  oxen  were 
bitten  by  the  tsetse,  a poisonous  fly,  whose  bite  is  mortal  to 
oxen  and  horses,  while,  strange  to  say,  human  beings,  wild 
animals,  the  ass,  the  mule,  and  the  goat  escape  with  impunity. 
From  Mababe  Dr.  Livingstone  proceeded  to  the  Chobe  river, 
and  at  Simyati  met  with  the  great  chief  Sebituane,  a tall,  \viry, 
athletic  man  of  about  forty-five  years  of  age,  and  the  most 
renowned  warrior  ever  heard  of  in  the  interior  of  Africa.  The 
death  of  this  important  personage  soon  afterwards  occasioned 
some  delay  to  the  travellers ; but  as  soon  as  they  had  obtained 
permission  from  his  successor  to  visit  any  part  of  the  country 
they  pleased,  they  proceeded  130  miles  in  a north-easterly 
direction  to  Sesheke ; and  there,  in  the  end  of  June,  1851,  “we 
were  rewarded,”  writes  the  Doctor,  “by  the  discovery  of  the 
Zambezi  in  the  centre  of  the  continent.  We  saw  it  at  the  end 
of  the  dry  season,  at  a time  when  the  river  is  about  at  its  lowest; 
and  yet  there  was  a breadth  of  from  300  to  400  yards  of  deep 
flowing  water.”  The  country  between  the  Chobe  and  the 
Zambezi  is  occasionally  flooded,  and  abounds  in  swamps,  and, 
although  preferred  by  the  Makololo,  it  was  considered  an 
unsuitable  place  for  the  residence  of  Europeans ; hence  it  was 
thought  desirable  to  look  beyond  for  a healthy  locality  as  a 
mission  station. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  following  year  Dr.  Livingstone  visited 
Cape  Town,  when  the  present  wTiter  first  became  personally 
acquainted  with  him.  He  had  prepared  elaborate  m&ps  of  the 
countries  which  he  had  explored ; and,  in  common  with  many 
others,  I inspected  them  with  great  interest,  as  they  exhibited 
a clear  view  of  the  river  system  of  the  interior,  with  the  course 
for  a considerable  distance  of  the  Chobe  and  the  Zambezi. 
We  also  listened  with  delight  to  the  Doctor’s  graphic  descrip- 
tion of  his  wonderful  adventures. 

The  fourth  and  the  longest  journey  of  Dr.  Livingstone,  from 
Cape  Town  to  the  Zambezi,  and  thence  right  across  the  vast 
continent  to  Loanda,  in  the  Portuguese  colony  of  Angola, 
commenced  on  the  8th  of  June,  1852.  Perhaps  that  journey 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  89 

would  never  have  been  undertaken  had  not  an  unforeseen  event 
occurred  just  then  to  deprive  him  of  his  home.  Whilst  he  was 
travelling  slowly  through  the  Cape  Colony  the  emigrant  Boers 
attacked  the  chief  Sechele,  and  destroyed  the  mission  station 
at  Kolobeng.  The  missionary  was  then  free  from  any  regular 
pastoral  charge,  the  door  was  closed  against  him  in  that  quarter, 
and  he  felt  at  liberty  to  pursue  his  grand  scheme  of  opening  a 
path  from  the  interior  to  the  sea-coasts  for  Christianity  and  for 
commerce.  He  reached  Linyanti  on  the  23rd  of  May,  1853, 
made  an  experimental  journey  up  the  river  Leeambye  (another 
name  for  the  upper  part  of  the  Zambezi),  as  far  as  its  junction 
with  the  Leeba,  in  latitude  r4°  ii'  south,  and  then  returned  to 
Linyanti.  After  some  time  spent  in  making  arrangements  for 
his  journey,  he  left  Linyanti  on  the  nth  of  November,  with  a 
party  gf  twenty-seven  natives,  intending,  if  possible,  to  reach 
the  western  coast. 

We  cannot  describe  in  detail  the  particulars  of  the  canoe 
voyage  up  the  Leeambye,  through  the  fertile  valley  of  the 
Barotse,  which  “is  as  capable  of  supporting  millions  of 
inhabitants  as  it  is  of  its  thousands.  The  river  abounds  with 
hippopotami  and  alligators.”  Not  far  from  Makondo  Dr. 
Livingstone  left  his  canoe,  and  journeyed  on  o.xback  through 
a country  like  the  preceding,  a succession  of  park-like  scenery 
and  open  lawns.  The  territory  of  the  Makololo  was  now  left 
behind,  and  the  traveller  entered  the  Balond  country,  which  is 
of  great  extent,  and  is  governed  by  a powerful  chief  named 
Matiamvo,  whose  vassals  are  said  to  border  upon  the  Portu- 
guese possessions  on  both  sides  of  the  African  continent.  The 
Balonda  are  real  negroes ; every  village  has  its  idols  near  to 
it ; in  this,  and  in  other  respects,  widely  differing  from  the 
Kaffir  and  Bechuana  tribes.  Human  sacrifices  are  not  un- 
common, and  superstition  increases  and  is  more  bloody  as 
the  traveller  advances  farther  north.  In  this  journey  Dr. 
Livingstone  suffered  much  from  the  scarcity  of  food  and  from 
incessant  attacks  of  fever,  which  the  rainy  season  rendered 
more  trying  than  it  would  otherwise  have  been.  The  forests 


90 


Afi  ica  : Past  and  Present. 


became  more  dense  as  he  advanced,  but  happily  without  thorns, 
so  that  travelling  was  more  easy  than  in  some  other  parts. 

Beyond  the  Leeba,  a plain  of  twenty  miles  in  extent  had 
to  be  crossed,  covered  with  water  ankle-deep,  while  to  the  left 
were  the  plains  of  Lobale,  still  more  extensive  and  more  deeply- 
flooded.  A little  farther  to  the  north,  in  iig”  south  latitude, 
is  the  watershed  between  the  rivers  which  flow  south  and  those 
which  flow  north.  One  stream,  the  Lotembroa,  between  Lake 
Dilolo  and  the  Kasye  river,  was  found  to  send  forth  two  small 
branches  which  flow  in  opposite  directions, — a novelty  in 
physical  geography.  On  the  30th  of  March,  1854,  the  party 
began  to  descend  from  the  highlands  towards  the  western 
coast  of  the  great  continent,  when  they  found  the  country 
indented  by  deep  and  narrow  valleys.  On  reaching  the  river 
Quango,  150  yards  wide,  and  very  deep,  they  found  some 
difficulty  in  crossing.  At  length  they  got  ferried  over,  and 
the  Doctor  found  himself  in  the  territory  of  Bangala,  among 
the  Cassanges,  who  are  subjects  of  the  Portuguese  Government, 
and  happily  all  his  difficulties  with  the  border  tribes  were  over. 
On  the  13th  of  May  he  arrived  at  Loanda,  the  capital  of 
Angola,  where  he  was  received  with  great  kindness  by  the 
Portuguese  authorities,  and  the  population  generally,  who 
paid  every  needful  attention  to  the  great  traveller  and  his 
attendants. 

Having  rested  for  a while,  and  carefully  examined  the  Portu- 
guese colony  of  Angola,  with  a degree  of  courage  and  perse- 
verance never  surpassed  in  African  exploration.  Dr.  Livingstone 
and  his  faithful  Makololos  recrossed  the  vast  continent,  suffering 
even  greater  dangers  and  privations  than  they  had  previously 
experienced.  The  return  journey  commenced  on  the  20th  of 
September,  1854;  and  after  twelve  months  of  incessant  exertion 
they  reached  Linyanti  in  September,  1855.  This  being  the 
home  of  the  Makololos,  and  a place  where  the  Doctor  was 
well  known  and  highly  esteemed,  the  travellers  were  received 
with  joy,  kindly  treated,  and  well  fed  during  their  stay.  On 
the  3rd  of  November  our  courageous  adventurer,  accompanied 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  gi 

by  the  chief  Sekeletu  and  114  men,  left  Linyanti  for  the 
eastern  coast,  and  commenced  what  may  be  with  propriety 
called  his  fifth  great  journey  of  discovery.  Following  the 
track  of  the  Zambezi,  he  turned  aside  to  view  the  Victoria 
Falls,  where  the  river  is  1000  yards  broad,  and  where,  after 
becoming  narrower,  the  large  body  of  water  falls  down  into  a 
deep  rent  in  the  rock  a distance  of  100  yards,  and  sends  up 
a cloud  of  vapour  which  can  be  seen  six  miles  off.  Here 
the  chief  Sekeletu  returned  to  Linyanti,  and  the  Doctor  and 
' his  men,  leaving  the  river  on  the  20th,  and  cutting  across  the 
j country,  on  the  3rd  of  February,  1856,  arrived  at  the  Portuguese 
i settlement  of  Tete,  on  the  lower  section  of  the  Zambezi,  where 
i they  were  kindly  received  by  the  commandant. 

; Here  Dr.  Livingstone  left  most  of  his  men,  and  on  the 
I 22nd  of  April  proceeded  down  the  Zambezi  to  Senna,  which 
j he  reached  on  the  27th.  On  approaching  the  delta,  he  was 
“ attacked  with  fever ; but  he  pressed  forward,  and  on  the  20th 
of  May,  within  a few  days  of  four  years  since  he  left  Cape  Town, 
he  reached  Quilimane  on  the  eastern  coast.  After  waiting  for 
a vessel  at  the  place  last  named,  on  the  12  th  of  July  he 
I embarked  on  board  H.M.  brig  Frolic^  which  had  been  sent 
j from  the  Cape  to  meet  him,  and  on  the  12th  of  August  reached 
the  Mauritius.  Leaving  that  port,  he  proceeded  home  by  way 
of  the  Red  Sea  and  Egypt,  and  arrived  in  England  on  the  12th 
I of  December,  1856,  having  accomplished  some  of  the  most 
1 remarkable  journeys  that  were  ever  performed  by  any  African 
travellers  in  ancient  or  modern  times, 
j In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1858,  Dr.  Livingstone  left  his 
I native  land  once  more,  and  entered  upon  his  sixth  great 
journey  of  exploration,  at  the  head  of  the  Zambezi  expedition. 

I He  arrived  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  where  the  present 
j writer  was  then  residing,  in  the  month  of  April;  and  on  Monday, 
the  26th,  the  renowned  traveller  was  invited  to  a public  meeting 
in  the  Commercial  Exchange,  Cape  Town,  over  which  His 
Excellency  the  Governor,  Sir  George  Grey,  presided,  to  receive 
such  honours  as  we  as  British  colonists  could  bestow.  A bank 


92 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


cheque  for  800  guineas  in  a silver  box,  with  an  appropriate 
inscription,  was  presented  to  the  worthy  Doctor  by  His  Excel- 
lency in  the  name  of  the  Cape  Colonists,  who  had  generously 
subscribed  for  the  amount,  as  a testimonial  of  respect,  and  to 
assist  him  in  his  further  explorations.  Some  excellent  speeches 
were  delivered  by  the  Governor,  Dr.  Livingstone,  Mr.  Moffat 
(who  had  come  to  the  Cape  to  meet  his  son-in-law),  and  others ; 
and  in  the  evening  we  were  honoured  with  an  invitation  from 
the  Governor  to  me,  the  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Livingstone,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Moffat,  and  other  friends  at  Government  House,  where 
we  spent  two  or  three  hours  in  pleasant  conversation  on  the 
present  condition  and  future  prospects  of  Africa ; our  distin- 
guished host,  Sir  George  Grey,  adding  much  to  our  enjoy- 
ment by  his  affable  manner  and  generous  hospitality,  and  by 
exhibiting  for  our  inspection  some  of  his  choice  books  and 
curiosities. 

On  the  following  day  the  Zambezi  expedition  left  the  Cape, 
followed  by  the  prayers  and  best  wishes  of  Christian  people  of 
all  denominations.  On  this  occasion  Dr.  Livingstone  appeared 
amongst  us,  not  in  the  garb  of  a humble  missionary,  as  formerly; 
but  as  H.B.M.  Consul  for  Central  Africa,  with  cap  and  coat 
ornamented  with  gold  lace  and  bright  buttons  ; and  we  confess 
to  a feeling  of  regret  that  he  should  have  thus  lowered  himself, 
by  changing  his  sacred  for  a secular  position.  Mrs.  Livingstone 
remained  at  the  Cape  for  a long  time  whilst  her  husband  was 
exploring  the  interior,  and  during  her  residence  at  Mowbray 
she  frequently  attended  our  chapel  and  shared  in  our  sympathy 
and  prayers. 

Dr.  Livingstone  hastened  up  the  Zambezi  to  Tete,  where 
he  had  left  his  faithful  Makololos,  under  the  promise  of  re- 
turning to  lead  them  back  to  their  own  country  in  the  interior. 
The  survivors  (for,  alas  ! many  of  them  had  died)  were  delighted 
to  see  him,  and  after  performing  various  voyages  up  the  Shire, 
and  exploring  the  lakes  Shirwa  and  N’yassa,  he  fulfilled  his 
promise  by  proceeding  with  his  followers  to  Linyanti,  where  he 
arrived  in  safety  in  the  month  of  August,  1862.  Returning  to 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


93 


the  east  coast  in  November,  the  Doctor  welcomed  to  the 
country  the  ill-fated  Universities’  Mission,  under  the  lamented 
Bishop  Mackenzie,  and  having  escorted  its  members  to  Mago- 
mero,  their  station  on  the  highlands,  returned  to  his  work  of 
exploring  the  Zambezi  and  its  tributaries.  The  heaviest  trial 
of  the  great  traveller  now  occurred ; the  deadly  fever  which 
first  carried  off  the  English  bishop,  when  on  an  expedition 
down  the  Shire,  and  in  the  same  malarious  district  wrecked 
his  mission,  fearfully  tested  the  Doctor’s  own  party,  and  finally 
carried  off  his  own  dear  wife,  two  short  months  after  she  had 
joined  him  at  the  mouth  of  the  Zambezi. 

After  two  years  of  not  very  successful  exploration  the  Zam- 
bezi expedition  was  recalled  by  the  Home  Government ; and 
Dr.  Livingstone  left  Zanzibar  towards  the  close  of  April,  1864, 
for  Bombay,  on  his  way  to  England,  where  he  arrived  in  safety 
after  an  adventurous  passage.  Nothing  daunted  by  previous 
disappointment,  suffering,  and  bereavement,  the  great  traveller 
soon  embarked  again  for  Zanzibar,  on  the  east  coast  of  Africa, 

1 at  his  own  expense  and  on  his  own  responsibility ; and  in  the 
month  of  April,  1866,  entered  upon  his  seventh  and  last  great 
journey  of  exploration  in  the  interior  of  Africa.  On  this  occa- 
sion he  discovered  other  great  lakes  and  rivers,  which  may  prove 
very  important  in  the  future  ; but  having  been  deserted  by 
most  of  his  men,  and  left  without  a supply  of  necessary  stores, 
he  was  unable  to  advance,  and  became  lost  to  the  civilized 
world  for  two  or  three  years.  At  length  different  parties  were 
sent  out  to  search  for  him ; and  he  was  ultimately  found  and 
relieved  by  the  enterprising  Stanley  at  Ujiji,  on  the  shore  of 
the  great  lake  Tanganyika,  on  the  loth  of  November,  1871. 
The  feelings  of  the  lonely  traveller  may  be  better  imagined 
than  described,  on  being  once  more  favoured  to  look  upon  the 
face  of  a white  man,  and  to  hear  what  had  been  passing  in 
Europe  during  the  long  period  of  his  exile. 

On  the  return  of  Stanley  to  the  coast,  Dr.  Livdngstone  con- 
tinued his  researches  during  the  following  year,  being  unwilling 


94 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


solved  the  geographical  problems  on  which  he  had  set  his 
heart.  In  the  order  of  Divine  Providence,  however,  he  was 
called  to  rest  from  his  labours  before  he  had  fully  accomplished 
his  self-appointed  task.  Although  relieved  for  a time  by  the 
welcome  visit  of  Stanley,  his  supply  of  stores  and  necessary 
comforts  again  failed,  and  he  was  reduced  to  great  straits.  At 
length  he  became  fairly  worn  down  with  fatigue  and  sickness, 
and  after  having  been  carried  on  a litter  for  several  miles  by 
his  faithful  attendants,  they  built  a temporary  hut  for  his 
accommodation  on  the  banks  of  the  Miliamo,  in  which  he 
peacefully  expired  on  the  ist  of  May,  1873.  His  remains 
were  brought  to  England  by  his  faithful  companions,  Chouma, 
Susi,  and  Jacob  Wainwright ; and  he  was  interred  in  West- 
minster Abbey  amongst  the  great  and  the  good  of  past  ages, — 
an  honour  of  which  he  was  in  every  respect  worthy. 

Stanley  and  Cameron. 

The  name  of  Henry  M.  Stanley,  the  enterprising  “Travelling 
Correspondent  of  the  New  York  Herald”  will  ever  rank  next 
to  that  of  the  lamented  Dr.  Livingstone  as  an  African  explorer, 
not  only  because  he  found  and  relieved  the  Doctor  under 
peculiar  circumstances,  as  already  mentioned,  but  because  of 
his  undaunted  courage  and  indomitable  perseverance,  and  the 
real  value  of  his  subsequent  discoveries.  After  Stanley’s  return 
fiom  finding  Livingstone  he  appears  to  have  been  utterly 
unable  to  check  the  African  exploration  fever  which  had  seized 
him.  He  manifested  the  restlessness  of  one  who  was  evidently 
born  a traveller;  and  no  sooner  did  the  proprietors  of  the 
Daily  Telegraph  and  the  New  York  Herald  propose  jointly  to 
commission  him  to  head  an  expedition  to  prosecute  further 
exploration  in  the  interior  of  Africa,  with  a view  to  solve  the 
geographical  questions  still  involved  in  mystery,  than  he  leaped 
eagerly  to  the  work. 

Having  gone  out  to  the  eastern  coast  and  organized  his 
expedition,  Stanley  and  his  party  started  from  the  port  of 
Bagomoyo  on  the  mainland,  about  twenty  miles  south  of 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  95 

Zanzibar.  The  baggage,  including  the  •sections  of  a portable 
boat  called  the  Lady  Alice,  weighed  eight  tons,  and  had  to  be 
carried  by  porters.  The  members  of  the  expedition,  all  told, 
including  men,  women  and  children,  porters,  chiefs,  and  guards 
(the  latter  being  armed  with  Schneider  rifles),  were  356. 
There  were  also  three  Englishmen  in  the  company:  Frederick 
Baker,  Edward  Pocock  and  his  brother  Frank,  who  subse- 
quently displayed  a fine  religious  spirit  in  the  dreadful  trials 
that  awaited  them. 

After  twenty-five  days’  march  from  Bagomoyo  the  expedition 
reached  Mpwapwa,  230  miles  west  of  that  port.  Here  it 
was  found  that  fifty  of  the  number  who  had  started  had 
deserted,  carrying  with  them^  their  advance  of  pay,  and 
many  of  them  their  guns  also.  Before  leaving  Mpwapwa 
several  others  were  discharged,  as  having  proved  physically 
unfit  for  the  heavy  work  required  of  them.  By  Christmas  food 
had  run  short,  and  Stanley  had  not  tasted  meat  for  ten  days. 
On  the  loth  of  January,  1875,  the  expedition  was  completely 
starved  out,  and  travelled  forward  very  feebly,  hoping  to  meet 
with  provisions.  Turning  north,  they  reached  Chiwyu,  400 
miles  from  the  ocean,  and  5400  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea.  Here  Edward  Pocock  died  of  typhus  fever;  and  after 
burying  him  under  a tree,  the  weakened  and  dispirited  expedition 
moved  on.  They  soon  afterwards  struck  the  river  Shimeeyn,  as 
broad  as  the  Thames  at  London  Bridge.  This  noble  stream 
was  found,  on  examination,  to  empty  itself  into  Lake  Victoria 
N’yanza  at  its  southern  extremity.  The  Victoria  N’yanza 
empties  itself,  at  its  northern  extremity,  through  the  Victoria 
Nile  into  the  Albert  N’yanza,  which  directly  feeds  the  great 
mysterious  river  itself.  Thus  at  last  was  the  grand  discovery 
made,  which  had  perplexed  the  minds  of  men  for  ages, — 
one  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile,  in  the  head  streams  of  the 
Shimeeyn,  5400  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

On  the  20th  of  January  the  expedition  entered  the  Ituru 
territory,  where  they  had  much  trouble  with  a notorious  witch- 
doctor and  other  turbulent  natives,  who  stirred  up  the  people 


96 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


to  deeds  of  violence  against  the  strangers.  By  this  time 
Stanley’s  party  had  become  much  weakened  by  deaths  and 
desertions.  Twenty  men  had  died,  and  eighty-nine  had  de- 
serted since  they  left  the  coast,  whilst  many  of  those  who 
remained  were  enfeebled  by  sickness.  In  this  unprepared  state, 
the  expedition  was  attacked  by  a numerous  and  powerful  band 
of  armed  savages,  and  were  obliged  to  fight  for  their  lives.  It 
was  not  until  a loss  had  been  sustained  of  twenty- four  killed, 
and  four  wounded,  that  it  was  possible  to  get  clear  from  the 
murderous  Wanyaturu.  Proceeding  northwards,  they  travelled 
through  a country  the  inhabitants  of  which  were  less  inhos- 
pitable, and  on  the  28th  of  February  the  great  lake  Victoria 
N’yanza  presented  itself  to  their  view, — a vast  sheet  of  water, 
or  an  inland  sea,  with  an  area  of  21,500  square  miles,  at  an 
elevation  of  4168  feet  above  the  sea-level.  “What  a lake! 
nearly  three  times  the  size  of  Wales,  lifted  600  feet  higher  than 
the  summit  of  Snowdon,  and  environed  with  everlasting  hills  of 
granite  1 ” 

After  a halt  of  nine  days,  to  recruit  and  prepare  for  new 
adventures,  the  Lady  Alice  was  fitted  out  and  launched  on  this 
central  inland  sea,  on  which  an  English  boat  had  never  floated 
before.  The  eastern  side  of  the  lake  was  first  examined,  and 
evident  signs  of  amazing  fertility  appeared  on  every  hand.  The 
expedition  then  steered  for  the  extreme  northern  point,  and 
examined  the  Napoleon  Channel  and  Ripon  Falls,  through  and 
over  which  the  waters  of  the  lake  pour  into  the  bed  of  the 
Victoria  Nile,  and  thence  into  the  Albert  N’yanza,  and  thence 
through  the  Nile  proper,  it  is  believed,  into  the  Mediterranean 
Sea.  At  this  point  of  the  voyage  a squadron  of  six  beautiful 
canoes,  crowded  with  natives,  was  seen  rounding  a neighbour- 
ing headland,  and  fears  were  entertained  of  a piratical  attack 
upon  the  strangers;  but  nothing  could  have  been  more  pro- 
pitious. They  came  from  Metesa,  the  king  of  Uganda,  the 
most  powerful  monarch  of  Equatorial  Africa,  with  words  of 
kindly  greeting.  The  young  chieftain  in  command  sprang  on 
board  the  Lady  Alice,  and,  kneeling  before  Stanley,  said,  “ The 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery.  97 

Kabaka  sends  me  with  many  salaams  to  you.  He  is  in  great 
hopes  that  you  will  visit  him,  and  has  encamped  at  Usavara, 
that  he  may  be  near  the  lake  when  you  come,”  etc. 

The  account  which  Stanley  gives  of  King  Metesa,  and  his 
conversion  from  Mohammedanism  to  a semi-belief  in  the  truth 
of  Christianity,  has  some  points  of  great  interest ; but,  on  the 
whole,  is  somewhat  mystified.  The  traveller  had  need  of  the 
sable  monarch’s  aid  in  the  further  exploration  of  the  Victoria 
N’yanza,  and  obtained  it  to  some  extent;  but  eventually  it 
proved  of  little  avail.  When  the  Uganda  people  got  beyond 
the  limits  of  their  own  kingdom  and  waters,  they  grew  timid  in 
the  face  of  outer  barbarians,  and  left  their  illustrious  visitor  to 
make  his  way  alone.  During  his  progress  down  the  west  side 
of  the  lake  to  Kagehyi,  where  the  major  part  of  the  expedition 
had  been  left,  when  Metesa’s  canoes  had  forsaken  them,  the 
crew  of  the  Lady  Alice,  being  hard  pressed  for  want  of  food, 
landed  on  an  island  called  Bumbirch,  where,  instead  of 
obtaining  relief,  they  were  fiercely  attacked  by  the  natives,  and 
had  a narrow  escape  from  destruction.  It  was  the  subsequent 
punishment  by  Stanley  of  the  people  of  Bumbirch  which 
excited  so  much  comment  and  criticism  in  Europe,  on  the 
merits  of  which  opinions  will  differ. 

After  an  absence  of  fifty-seven  days  spent  in  exploring  the 
Victoria  N’yanza,  the  Lady  Alice  returned  to  the  camp  on  the 
southern  shore  at  Kagehyi,  her  appearance  having  been  de- 
spaired of  by  the  bulk  of  the  expedition  left  at  that  place.  The 
joy  with  which  Stanley  and  his  party  were  welcomed  was  soon 
dashed  with  sorrow.  One  of  the  first  sights  to  be  seen  was  the 
I grave  of  Frederick  Baker,  near  the  margin  of  the  lake,  this 
brave  young  man  having  sunk  under  the  disease  from  which  he 
I had  been  suffering,  during  the  absence  of  the  exploring  party. 

I The  circumnavigation  of  the  Victoria  N’yanza  had,  however, 
been  completed,  and  there  was  no  longer  any  room  for  question 
as  to  its  extent,  altitude,  affluents,  effluents,  and  configuration. 

With  the  aid  of  a large  escort,  consisting  of  nearly  2,000 
men,  supplied  by  King  Metesa,  Stanley  and  his  party  next 

7 


98 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


attempted  to  reach  and  explore  the  lake  of  Muta  N’zig^,  lying 
about  a hundred  miles  due  west  of  Victoria  N’yanza ; but 
when  near  the  end  of  their  journey  the  escort  mutinied  and 
returned  to  Uganda.  Being  thus  foiled  in  his  object,  Stanley 
now  turned  his  attention  to  the  fuller  exploration  and  circum- 
navigation of  Lake  Tanganyika,  which  he  and  Livingstone  and 
Cameron  had,  on  former  occasions,  only  partially  surveyed. 
On  the  27th  of  May,  1876,  Ujiji,  on  the  shore  of  Tanganyika, 
was  safely  reached.  Here  old  friends  were  met  with,  who  were 
ready  to  aid  the  traveller  to  the  utmost  of  their  power ; but  it 
was  nevertheless  a place  of  sad  memories.  Livingstone  was 
gone,  and  the  very  house  in  which  the  two  travellers  had  dwelt 
together  in  1871  had  disappeared,  and  the  place  where  it  stood 
was  marked  by  a heap  of  ashes  and  ruins. 

Stanley  and  his  party  succeeded  in  circumnavigating  the 
Tanganyika,  and  found  it  to  be  a lake  little  inferior  to  Victoria 
N’yanza,  studded  with  numerous  lovely  islands,  and  with  shores 
both  fertile  and  populous.  In  some  places,  however,  the 
country  had  been  desolated  by  war  and  commotion, — the 
invariable  accessories  of  the  accursed  slave  trade.  On  landing 
at  the  large  village  of  Kiwesa,  they  came  upon  the  decom- 
posed body  of  a poor  old  negro  with  a broad  spear-wound  in 
his  back.  A few  yards  farther  on  they  saw  other  corpses, 
decapitated  and  dismembered.  When  they  reached  the  village 
itself  they  found  little  beyond  the  charred  ruins  of  it,  with 
domestic  utensils  and  implements  of  war  scattered  on  every 
hand,  just  as  they  had  been  abandoned  by  the  terrified  natives 
in  their  attempt  at  flight  when  the  place  was  set  on  fire. 

The  expedition  now  crossed  the  lake  preparatory  to  their 
journey  westward,  with  the  intention  of  exploring  the  Lualaba, 
and,  if  possible,  pressing  their  way  forward  across  the  dark 
continent  to  the  Atlantic  ocean.  About  six  weeks  after  leaving 
Ujiji,  on  ascending  a low  ridge,  they  came  in  sight  of  the  great 
river  just  mentioned,  which  had  attracted  the  notice  of  Living- 
stone and  Cameron,  and  which  proved,  when  traced  by  Stanley 
through  all  its  mysterious  windings,  to  be  identical  with  the 


Recent  Adventure  and  Discovery. 


99 


Congo,  which  empties  its  mighty  volume  of  water  into  the 
Atlantic.  The  narrative  of  the  journey  of  the  intrepid  traveller 
who  made  this  important  discovery  is  one  of  the  marvels  of 
modern  times.  The  river,  in  its  course  of  1,150  miles,  was 
found  to  contain  numerous  rapids,  which  rendered  its  naviga- 
tion in  frail  canoes  both  difficult  and  dangerous.  In  descending 
one  of  these,  on  the  3rd  of  June,  1877,  Frank  Pocock,  Stanley’s 
last  surviving  European,  was  drowned ; but  the  great  explorer, 
nothing  daunted,  pressed  on  through  hostile  tribes,  and  in 
a few  weeks  afterwards  reached  Embomma,  and  ultimately 
Kabinda,  a Portuguese  settlement  on  the  western  coast.  When 
Stanley  and  the  remnant  of  his  party  thus  reached  the  abodes 
of  civilized  men,  they  had  been  wandering  in  the  wilds  of  Africa 
for  nearly  three  years,  and  were  reduced  by  exposure  and  want 
of  food  to  a state  of  extreme  destitution.  They  received  great 
kindness  from  the  Portuguese  settlers;  and,  as  soon  as  they 
were  recruited  somewhat,  they  embarked  for  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  From  thence  they  proceeded  to  Zanzibar ; and  when 
Stanley  had,  according  to  promise,  conducted  his  surviving 
companions  to  their  homes,  he  embarked  for  England,  where 
he  arrived  in  the  early  part  of  1878,  and  was  everywhere  received 
with  the  honours  due  to  his  merits  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
explorers  of  modern  times. 

This  brief  sketch  of  recent  adventure  and  discovery  in  Africa 
would  be  incomplete  without  some  account  of  Lieutenant 
Cameron,  a courageous  and  enterprising  British  naval  officer, 
who  was  despatched  from  England  at  the  head  of  a small 
expedition  in  1871,  to  search  for  Dr.  Livingstone,  about  the  same 
time  that  Stanley  and  his  party  were  sent  out  on  the  same  errand 
Having  heard  that  Stanley  had  found  and  relieved  the  Doctor, 
Cameron  felt  unwilling  to  return  to  Europe  without  doing 
something  to  promote  the  work  of  African  exploration,  which 
was  then  occupying  so  many  minds.  He  therefore  resolved  to 
strike  right  across  the  continent,  and  push  his  way  through,  if 
possible,  to  the  western  coast,  as  Livingstone  had  done  before, 
but  taking  a somewhat  different  route.  This  feat  he  accom- 


lOO 


Africa  : Past  and  Present, 


plished  with  slender  resources,  and  in  the  face  of  many  diffi- 
culties, exhibiting  a courage  and  perseverance  worthy  of  the 
highest  commendation.  In  this  journey  he  was  unable,  from 
the  hostility  of  the  natives,  to  pursue  the  course  of  the  Lualaba 
and  the  Congo,  so  as  to  prove  their  identity ; but  he  gathered 
useful  information,  which  showed  the  high  probability  of  this 
being  the  case,  and  so  prepared  the  way  for  the  demonstration 
of  the  fact  by  Stanley  on  a subsequent  journey,  as  already 
mentioned.  On  reaching  the  western  coast  Lieutenant  Cameron 
returned  to  England,  where  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
captain,  and  received  other  honours  to  which  he  was  fully 
entitled  by  his  heroic  services  in  the  cause  of  African  dis- 
covery. 

The  vast  continent  of  Africa  was  no  sooner  laid  open  to 
the  view  of  the  civilized  world  than  a spirit  of  enterprise  was 
;awakened  in  the  interests  of  commerce  and  Christian  missions, 
which  promises  ere  long  to  bear  good  fruit.  Every  true  friend 
t of  the  African  race  must  devoutly  wish  and  pray  that  the  time 
may  soon  come  when  the  light  of  Divine  truth  and  of  Christian 
civilization  may  shine  forth  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land. 


lOI 


CHAPTER  III. 

SLAVERY  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 

Prevalence  of  Slavery — Sources  of  Slavery — Uses  of  Slaves — Treatment  of 
Slaves — The  Slave  Trade — Methods  of  procuring  Slaves — The  Middle 
Passage-Slaves  in  Exile — Abolition  of  the  Slave  Trade — Emancipation 
of  Slaves — Work  still  to  be  done. 

Before  we  proceed  to  give  a more  minute  and  particular 
account  of  Africa  as  a country,  and  the  manners,  habits, 
and  condition  of  the  people  by  whom  it  is  inhabited,  there  is 
one  subject  which  demands  our  separate  and  special  attention, 
inasmuch  as  it  has  made  an  impression  upon  everything  which 
relates  to  the  history,  character,  and  destiny  of  the  African 
race.  We  refer  to  the  compound  question  of  Slavery  and  the 
Slave  Trade, — a question  which  in  years  past  excited  the  sym- 
pathy of  all  classes  of  Christian  people,  and  without  the  brief 
discussion  of  which  no  work  on  Africa  would  be  complete, 
notwithstanding  the  changes  which  have  happily  taken  place  in 
modern  times  with  reference  to  its  various  phases. 

Prevalence  of  Slavery. 

It  may  be  truly  said  of  Africa  that  it  is  “ a land  of  slaves  ” ; 
and  no  person  acquainted  with  the  state  of  society  in  that 
unhappy  country  will  doubt  the  truth  of  this  startling’  declara- 
tion. On  this  painful  subject  the  present  writer  received  his 
own  impressions  from  personal  observations  on  the  spot>  during 
a lengthened  residence  among  the  people ; but*  it  appears 
desirable  on  this  occasion  to  cite  the  testimony  of  others  also, 
that  in  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every  word  may  be 


102 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


verified.  Every  traveller  who  has  visited  the  western  coast  of 
Africa,  or  passed  through  any  part  of  the  interior,  testifies  to 
the  general  prevalence  of  slavery.  When  he  appeared  before 
the  West  African  Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons  to 
give  evidence  on  the  subject.  Colonel  Nicholls  said:  “ I know 
no  other  characters  in  Africa  than  those  of  master  and  slave.” 
And  Mr.  M'Queen,  on  a similar  occasion,  said  : “Slavery  and 
the  slave  trade  form  the  general  law  of  Africa.  These  two  evils 
reign  acknowledged,  sanctioned,  known,  recognised,  and  sub- 
mitted to,  by  her  population  of  every  rank  and  degree,  through- 
out all  her  extended  borders.”  According  to  the  computation 
of  Park,  three-fourths  of  the  entire  population  are  in  a state  of 
bondage.  In  his  first  journey  to  Kano,  Captain  Clapperton, 
estimating  its  inhabitants  at  40,000,  records  his  opinion  that  at 
least  one-half  of  the  population  were  slaves.  At  a subsequent 
visit  to  the  same  place,  however,  he  ascertained  that  his  first 
impression  had  been  too  favourable,  for  he  was  now  informed 
that  there  were  thirty  slaves  for  every  free  man ! The  same 
traveller  incidentally  mentions  a village  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Sackatoo,  where  only  one  in  seventy  of  the  inhabitants  were 
free.  As  illustrative  of  the  number  of  slaves  owned  by  some  of 
the  native  chiefs,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  employed. 
Major  Denham  states  that  the  Sultan  of  Bornou  had,  at  one 
time,  in  his  service  “ 30,000  armed  slaves  as  native  soldiers.” 
The  testimonies  here  given  as  to  the  prevalence  of  slavery 
in  the  interior  of  Africa  have  reference  chiefly,  if  not  exclu- 
sively, to  Mohammedan  states.  Now,  when  we  remember  the 
fact  that,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Koran,  a Moslem  may 
enslave  a Kaffir  or  unbeliever,  but  cannot  hold  in  bondage  one 
of  his  own  faith,  we  are  led  to  infer  that  in  those  districts  which 
are  purely  Pagan,  slavery  must  be  still  more  predominant 
This  inference  is  fully  borne  out  by  a careful  examination  of 
the  facts  of  the  case.  According  to  the  testimony  of  Clai> 
perton,  the  whole  lower-class  population  of  Yoruba  may  be 
considered  in  a state  of  slavery,  either  to  the  king  or  to  his 
caboceers.  And  it  is  said  that  in  Ashanti,  Fanti,  and  Dahomi, 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade. 


103 


in  addition  to  the  large  numbers  kept  in  bondage  by  the  respec- 
tive kings,  each  caboceer,  or  nobleman,  possesses  thousands  of 
slaves,  whilst  the  inferior  chiefs  and  captains,  or  head-men,  own 
proportionate  numbers.  It  is  therefore  highly  probable  that 
the  estimate  of  Park  is  much  too  low  if  applied  to  Western 
Africa  as  a whole  ; and  that  there  are  considerably  more  than 
three-fourths  of  the  entire  population  in  a state  of  bondage. 

Sources  of  Slavery. 

Let  us  now  glance  at  the  means  by  which  this  gigantic  evil 
is  sustained,  or  the  sources  whence  the  slaves  are  supplied. 
As  slavery  is  everywhere  hereditary,  all  children  born  of  slave 
parents  are,  as  a matter  of  course,  doomed  to  a life  of  per- 
petual bondage ; and  even  if  the  mother  only  is  a slave,  her 
offspring  have  to  share  her  hard  lot.  Consequently  in  Africa, 
as  in  all  slave  countries,  slavery,  when  once  established,  is 
kept  up  and  perpetuated  in  the  ordinary  course  of  nature. 
But  there  are  other  sources  from  which  the  supply  of  slaves  is 
maintained,  which  are  deserving  of  notice.  The  principal  of 
these  are  war,  famine,  insolvency,  and  crime. 

When  the  nations  or  native  tribes  of  Africa  go  to  war  with 
each  other,  even  on  political  grounds,  the  victors  invariably 
reduce  the  vanquished  to  a state  of  slavery,  even  if  they  have 
been  free  before.  This  practice  has  prevailed  both  in  ancient 
and  modern  times  in  other  lands ; but  in  Africa  we  have  the 
appalling  spectacle  exhibited  to  our  view  of  wars  waged  for  the 
avowed  purpose  of  supplying  the  demand  for  slaves  created  by 
a foreign  slave  trade,  to  the  enormities  of  which  we  shall  have 
to  refer  hereafter. 

In  this  land  of  darkness  people  previously  in  a state  ot 
freedom  are  sometimes  reduced  to  slavery  by  famine.  In  a 
country  where  the  soil  is  remarkably  fertile,  and  the  common 
necessaries  of  life  are  generally  abundant,  being  produced  with 
comparatively  little  labour,  it  may  appear  strange  to  some  that 
famine  should  ever  be  known.  It  must  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  the  seasons  favourable  for  cultivation  are  sometimes 


104 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


very  irregular,  and  that  the  natives  are  proverbial  for  their 
improvidence  and  recklessness  as  to  the  future ; consequently 
when  the  crop  fails,  through  drought  or  otherwise,  the  common 
people  are  reduced  to  great  straits,  and  are  sometimes  induced 
to  sell  their  children  as  slaves  to  procure  food  to  eat.  Park 
gives  an  affecting  instance  of  this  kind,  which  occurred  at  a 
native  town  where  he  sojourned  for  a short  time,  after  he  had 
left  the  Gambia,  on  his  way  to  the  Niger.  He  says : “ The 
scarcity  of  provisions  was  felt  at  this  time  most  severely  by  the 
poor  people,  as  the  following  circumstance  most  plainly  con- 
vinced me.  Every  evening  during  my  stay,  I observed  five  or 
six  women  come  to  the  mansa's  house,  and  receive  each  of  them 
a quantity  of  corn.  As  I knew  how  valuable  this  article  was  at 
that  juncture,  I inquired  of  the  mansa  whether  he  maintained 
these  poor  women  from  pure  bounty,  or  expected  a return 
when  the  harvest  should  be  gathered  in.  ‘ Observe  that  boy,’ 
said  he,  pointing  to  a fine  child  about  five  years  of  age ; ‘ his 
mother  has  sold  him  to  me  for  forty  days’  provisions.  I have 
bought  another  boy  in  the  same  manner.’  I could  not  get  this 
melancholy  subject  out  my  mind  ; and  the  next  night,  when 
the  women  returned  for  their  allowance,  I desired  the  boy  to 
point  out  to  me  his  mother,  which  he  did.  She  was  much 
emaciated ; and  when  she  received  her  corn,  she  came  and 
talked  to  her  son  with  as  much  cheerfulness  as  though  he  had 
been  still  under  her  care.” 

Another  common  source  of  African  slavery  is  insolvency.  A 
negro  trader  contracts  debts  on  account  of  some  mercantile 
speculation,  either  by  purchasing  from  his  neighbours  such 
articles  as  are  likely  to  sell  in  a distant  market,  or  by  obtaining 
goods  from  the  European  merchants  on  the  coast,  with  the 
promise  of  making  payment  at  a given  time.  If  he  succeeds 
in  his  speculation,  he  gains  a large  profit ; but  if  he  fails,  all  his 
remaining  property,  and  his  person,  his  family,  and  services, 
are  forfeited  and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  another ; for,  in 
some  parts  of  Africa,  not  only  the  effects  of  the  insolvent,  but 
even  the  insolvent  himself,  and  his  children,  are  sold  to  satisfy 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade.  1 05 

the  demands  of  his  creditors.  There  is,  moreover,  a modified 
kind  of  slavery  which  exists  on  the  western  coast  under  the 
name  of  “ pawns,”  which,  we  regret  to  say,  has,  to  a consider- 
able extent,  been  sanctioned  by  British  merchants  in  their 
transactions  with  the  natives.  This  subject  has  at  length 
attracted  the  notice  of  the  English  Government,  who  have 
decided  that  the  system  is  totally  at  variance  with  the  spirit 
and  intention  of  the  Acts  of  Parliament  abolishing  slavery  and 
the  slave  trade  throughout  the  British  dominions.  To  show 
the  identity  of  the  “ pawn  system  ” with  the  spirit  of  slavery, 
we  need  only  remark  that,  in  the  investigations  which  were 
made  on  the  subject  before  a Parliamentary  Committee,  one 
witness  said,  “ A pawn  is  a man  who  runs  into  debt,  and  who, 
in  order  to  discharge  the  debt,  pawns  himself  until  he  redeems 
himself.”  Another  described  pawns  as  persons  who  had  “ sold 
themselves  into  bondage,  from  which  they  can  only  be  emanci- 
pated by  pecuniary  payments  ; and  if  not  so  emancipated,  they 
must  live  and  die  in  servitude.”  This  witness  acknowledged 
that  he  had  “known  both  slaves  and  pawns  sold  at  public 
auction.” 

In  addition  to  the  means  already  mentioned,  the  natives  of 
Africa  who  are  born  free  are  liable  to  lose  their  freedom  by 
the  commission  of  crime.  Almost  every  kind  of  offence, — as 
theft,  witchcraft,  adultery,  murder,  etc., — when  proved  before 
the  chief  in  a grand  palaver,  is  punished  by  the  sentence  of 
perpetual  bondage.  Sometimes,  however,  the  criminal  is 
allowed  to  redeem  himself  by  offering  to  the  king  or  chief, 
or  the  offended  party,  a certain  amount  of  property,  or  a 
number  of  other  slaves. 

Uses  of  Slaves. 

The  enormous  extent  to  which  man  holds  his  brother  man 
in  bondage  in  Africa,  regarding  him  as  bona-fide  property,  will 
still  more  fully  appear  if  we  consider  the  various  uses  to  which 
slaves  are  applied  in  that  degraded  country.  In  many  places 
slaves  are  the  principal  articles  of  barter,  and  are  regarded  in 


io6  Africa:  Past  and  Present, 

the  light  of  “current  money  with  the  merchant.”  Many  kinds 
of  merchandise  can  be  purchased  with  slaves  and  with  nothing 
else,  other  articles  of  produce  being  positively  refused.  A poor 
negro,  who  had  passed  through  the  hands  of  several  masters  on 
his  way  to  the  coast,  related  in  all  simplicity  how  he  was  first 
sold  for  a single  hoe,  then  for  some  salt,  and  then  again  for 
some  cloth,  when  he  finally  passed  into  the  hands  of  a Euro- 
pean merchant.  Major  Denham  states  that  “ the  Sultan  of 
Sackatoo  received  tribute  from  his  dependent  states  chiefly  in 
slaves.” 

In  times  of  war  (which,  alas  ! are  so  frequent  in  Africa)  slaves 
are  often  employed  as  common  soldiers  ; and,  when  the  country 
remains  in  a comparatively  quiet  and  settled  state,  slaves  are 
the  artizans  and  agriculturists.  Hired  servants  of  free  condition, 
and  persons  voluntarily  working  for  pay,  are  unknown  in  most 
places,  every  free  man  possessing  his  establishment  of  domestic 
slaves.  Slaves  are  also  employed  in  personal  attendance  on 
their  owners,  and  in  the  performance  of  various  household 
duties;  but  in  every  relation  they  are  regarded  as  so  much 
property.  It  is  quite  common  to  hear  an  African  of  conse- 
quence summing  up  his  wealth  as  consisting  in  “ gold,  slaves, 
herds  and  horses.”  Slaves  are  also  the  marriage  bonus  with 
which  an  African  gentleman  purchases  his  wives  ; and  they  are 
frequently  the  only  inheritance  which  he  leaves  his  children. 

Such  are  some  of  the  uses  to  which  African  slavery  is  applied 
by  the  few  who  are  happily  free  in  their  own  country.  Whilst 
the  poor  slaves  are  employed  as  domestic  servants,  their  condi- 
tion is  comparatively  favourable ; but  when  they  are  set  apart 
as  offerings  to  demons,  or  to  be  sent  to  distant  lands,  their  lot 
is  truly  deplorable.  In  some  parts  of  Africa  tens  of  thousands 
of  poor  slaves  are  collected  to  be  offered  up  as  human  sacrifices 
in  the  performance  of  their  bloody  superstitious  rites  on  the 
death  of  chiefs  and  otherwise;  and  millions  more  have  been 
dragged  away  from  the  land  of  their  birth,  and  doomed  to  w'ear 
out  their  lives  in  hopeless  bondage  for  the  benefit  of  others,  as 
we  shall  have  to  relate  more  particularly  further  on.  In  the 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade. 


107 


meantime  we  may  briefly  glance  at  another  phase  of  the  subject 
which  is  worthy  of  consideration. 

Treatment  of  Slaves. 

The  apologists  of  negro  slavery  have  frequently  expatiated 
on  real  or  supposed  instances  of  kind  treatment  on  the  part  of 
slave  owners ; and  we  are  free  to  admit  that,  in  the  course  of 
our  travels  in  foreign  lands  where  slavery  is  common,  we  have 
met  with  such  cases.  Even  in  Africa  itself  there  is  a marked 
difference  between  the  condition  of  domestic  slaves — i.e.,  those 
who  are  born  and  brought  up  in  the  families  of  their  masters — 
and  those  who  are  taken  in  war  or  purchased  from  strangers  in 
the  ordinary  way  of  business.  It  is  a general  rule  or  usage  not 
to  sell  or  otherwise  dispose  of  the  former,  unless  it  be  as  a 
punishment  for  some  fault  committed  j but  the  latter  are  re- 
garded as  so  much  stock  on  hand  for  the  purpose  of  barter. 
Domestic  slaves  are,  moreover,  usually  employed  in  light  work 
about  the  house ; and,  when  well  conducted,  they  are  often 
treated  with  considerable  kindness,  and  even  with  confidence  ; 
being  sometimes  advanced  to  positions  of  responsibility  and 
honour,  as  was  Joseph  in  Egypt. 

But  in  its  mildest  form  slavery  \%  slavery ; and  wherever  it 
exists,  and  under  whatever  circumstances,  it  exhibits  the  same 
moral  deformity,  and  ought  to  be  viewed  with  detestation  and 
condemned  with  boldness  by  every  one  who  bears  the  Chris- 
tian name.  However  mildly  treated,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  poor  slave  has  no  real  property  in  himself,  nor  in 
anything  which  he  may  be  said  to  possess.  His  goods,  his 
wife,  his  children,  his  body,  bones,  flesh,  blood  and  sinews, 
are  not  his  own.  They  belong  to  his  master,  and  are  entirely 
at  his  disposal.  He  lives  and  breathes  and  works,  not  for 
himself,  but  for  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  a fellow-mortal ; and 
is  liable  to  the  most  cruel  and  unkind  treatment  at  the  whim 
and  caprice  of  his  owner. 

But,  whilst  domestic  slaves  in  Africa  are  generally  exempt 
from  harsh  and  cruel  treatment,  it  is  otherwise  with  those  who 


io8 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


are  literally  held  as  merchandise  for  the  purpose  of  traffic. 
These  are  not  only  torn  away  from  everything  which  is  dear  to 
them  on  earth — separated  from  home,  parents,  brothers,  sisters, 
and  friends — but  they  are  frequently  confined  in  chains,  flogged, 
and  driven  from  place  to  place  as  sheep  for  the  market.  Listen 
to  the  sorrowful  words  of  one  who  had  himself  tasted  of  the 
bitter  cup  of  bondage.  Speaking  of  a certain  stage  in  the 
painful  march  down  to  the  coast,  he  says : “ When  we  came 

to  that  place  I was  quite  faint,  for  I had  been  without  food  some 
time.  I began  to  weep,  and  fell  to  the  ground.  My  master 
was  angry,  and  lifted  his  hand  and  knocked  me  about  the  head, 
saying  he  would  kill  me  and  eat  me.  I thought  then  all  was 
over.  I expected  that  the  dagger  would  be  driven  into  my 
bowels  every  moment.”  This  is  but  a faint  specimen  of 
what  frequently  occurs.  In  that  land  of  darkness,  cruelty, 
and  blood,  a master  may  take  away  the  life  of  his  slave  with 
impunity ; and,  what  is  still  worse,  in  some  places  the  female 
portion  of  the  population  are  commonly  and  systematically  let 
out  on  hire  for  the  purpose  of  prostitution,  and  are  liable  to 
the  grossest  abuses  to  which  their  savage  and  unfeeling  masters 
can  subject  them.  We  have  witnessed  instances  of  the  cruel 
treatment  of  slaves,  both  at  their  original  home  in  Africa  and 
in  the  lands  of  their  exile,  the  recital  of  which  would  harrow 
up  the  feelings  of  the  reader  without  any  good  result;  but  we 
forbear. 


The  Slave  Trade. 

Such  is  slavery  m Africa,  its  own  home  ; but  we  have  a still 
darker  page  to  turn  over  in  the  history  of  this  gigantic  evil. 
We  have  to  consider  the  Slave  Trade,  properly  so  called — the 
traffic  in  which  Africa  was  induced  to  engage  rvith  foreign 
countries  for  the  flesh  and  blood,  the  bodies  and  souls  of  her 
own  sons  and  daughters.  The  story  of  this  dark  and  wicked 
business  is  one  of  mournful  interest ; and,  so  far  as  it  has  been 
written,  it  appears  to  our  view  stained  with  tears  and  traced 
in  characters  of  blood.  The  evil  which  it  records  is,  moreover. 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade.  109 

one  of  long  standing,  and  has  involved  several  nations  bearing 
the  Christian  name  in  guilty  complicity,  shame,  and  dishonour. 

As  early  as  1434,  soon  after  the  discovery  of  the  country, 
Antonio  Gonzales,  a Portuguese  captain,  landed  on  the  Gold 
Coast,  and  carried  away  with  him  some  negro  boys,  whom  he 
sold  to  one  or  two  Moorish  families  in  the  south  of  Spain. 
This  strange  act  seems  to  have  excited  some  criticism  at 
the  time,  but  the  disgust  with  which  it  was  regarded  by  some 
soon  subsided,  and  from  that  day  it  became  customary 
for  captains  of  vessels  visiting  the  coast  to  carry  away  a few 
negroes  of  both  sexes.  The  patient  and  cheerful  labours  of 
these  poor  Africans  on  board  the  ships  which  took  them  away 
from  their  native  land,  and  in  the  families  of  the  persons  to 
whom  they  were  sold,  being  found  valuable,  the  practice  soon 
grew  into  a regular  traffic ; and  negroes,  instead  of  being  carried 
away  in  twos  and  threes  as  mere  curiosities,  soon  came  to  form 
a part  of  almost  every  cargo,  in  common  with  other  native  pro- 
duce. Henceforth  ships  no  longer  visited  Africa  on  voyages  of 
mere  discovery,  but  for  valuable  cargoes  ; and  the  inhabitants 
of  the  negro  villages  along  the  coast  being  delighted  with  the 
knives,  tinder-boxes,  beads,  buttons,  and  other  trinkets  which 
they  got  in  exchange  for  gold,  ivory,  and  slaves,  took  care  to 
have  these  articles  in  readiness  for  the  vessels  when  they 
arrived.  Thus  the  slave  trade,  commenced  by  the  Portuguese, 
was  soon  taken  up  by  the  Spaniards  and  people  of  other  nations, 
who  entered  with  alacrity  into  the  infamous  traffic. 

Perhaps  this  strange  and  iniquitous  trade  in  human  beings 
would  never  have  become  very  extensive,  had  not  an  impor- 
tant event  occurred,  which  gave  it  a great  impetus.  This 
was  the  discovery  of  America  and  the  West  Indies  by  the 
enterprising  Columbus,  in  the  year  1493.  When  the  Spaniards 
first  took  possession  of  the  islands,  they  employed  the  natives, 
or  Indians  as  they  were  called,  to  do  all  their  heavy  work — 
such  as  cultivating  the  ground,  carrying  burdens,  and  digging 
for  gold.  In  fact,  ere  long  these  Indians  became  the  slaves 
of  the  Spanish  conquerors ; and  it  was  customary,  in  assigning 


1 10 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


lands  to  a person,  to  make  over  to  him  at  the  same  time 
all  the  natives  residing  upon  them,  whose  labour  he  claimed 
as  a matter  of  course. 

It  soon  became  evident,  however,  that  these  poor,  frail, 
timid,  listless  aborigines  of  the  West  Indies,  accustomed  only 
to  hunting  and  fishing  for  their  daily  supply  of  food,  were 
not  only  indisposed,  but  totally  unfit  for  continuous  and 
arduous  toil.  Under  the  united  influence  of  hard  labour, 
cruel  treatment,  and  contagious  diseases,  introduced  among 
them  by  the  pale-faced  strangers,  they  melted  away  in  the 
presence  of  their  oppressors,  with  a rapidity  truly  alarming. 
In  a few  years  after  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards  tens  of 
thousands  had  perished.  When  Albuquerque  entered  upon 
his  office  as  Governor  of  St.  Domingo,  in  1515,  he  found 
that,  whereas  in  1508  the  natives  in  that  island  numbered 
60,000  they  did  not,  then  amount  to  14,000 ; and  there 
appeared  nothing  in  prospect  but  the  ultimate  extinction  of 
the  entire  race  of  Indians,  if  the  same  system  of  cruelty  and 
oppression  should  be  continued. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  enterprising  but  avaricious 
colonists  were  led  to  consider  what  could  be  done  to  meet 
the  emergency.  Labourers  must  be  had  from  some  quarter 
to  till  the  ground,  work  the  mines,  and  perform  other 
drudgery  for  the  haughty  settlers ; and  the  idea  was  suggested 
that  African  negroes  would  be  the  best  adapted  for  the 
purpose.  As  early  as  1503  a few  negroes  had  been  carried 
across  the  Atlantic ; and  it  had  been  found  not  only  that  one 
of  these  could  do  as  much  work  as  four  Indians,  but  that, 
whilst  the  aborigines  were  rapidly  wasting  away  under  the 
enforced  toil  to  which  they  were  subjected,  the  Africans  were 
thriving  wonderfully,  and  even  increasing  in  number.  It  was 
therefore  resolved  to  import  negro  slaves  into  the  Spanish 
colonies  of  the  West  Indies  as  rapidly  as  possible;  which 
was  accordingly  done,  although  the  process  was  gradual. 

The  African  slave  trade  thus  inaugurated  by  the  Spaniards 
was  not  long  left  entirely  in  their  hands.  At  first  the  Spaniards 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade. 


1 1 1 


had  all  America  and  the  West  Indies  to  themselves  ; and  as  it 
was  in  these  countries  that  African  labourers  were  most  in 
demand,  the  Spaniards  alone  possessed  large  numbers  of  negro 
slaves.  But  other  nations  soon  came  to  have  colonies  in  the  New 
World  also ; and  as  negro  labour  was  found  to  be  of  great  im- 
portance in  the  founding  of  new  settlements,  and  in  agricultural 
work  generally,  other  nations  came  to  participate  in  the  guilt  of 
the  new  traffic  in  human  beings.  The  first  recognition  of  the 
slave  trade  by  the  English  Government  was  in  1562,  in  the 
reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  when  an  Act  was  passed  legalizing 
the  purchase  of  negroes.  This  was  to  meet  the  demand  antici- 
pated by  the  planting  of  the  first  British  colony  on  the  continent 
of  America.  But  these  early  efforts  at  colonisation  being  un- 
successful, it  was  not  till  1616  that  the  first  negro  slaves  were 
imported  into  Virginia  ; and  these  were  brought  over,  not  by 
an  English  ship,  but  in  a Dutch  vessel  which  touched  there 
when  on  her  way  from  Africa  to  the  Spanish  colonies  in  the 
West  Indies  with  a cargo  of  slaves.  After  this,  however,  the 
English  were  no  longer  indebted  to  foreign  ships  for  this  kind 
of  service ; but,  seeing  the  large  profits  which  were  to  be 
realized  by  the  horrid  traffic,  they  entered  into  it  with  a zeal 
and  earnestness  worthy  of  a better  cause ; and  thenceforth  it 
was  conducted  on  a scale  and  in  a manner  appalling  to 
contemplate. 

The  French,  Dutch,  and  other  European  nations  soon  be- 
came involved  in  the  African  slave  trade;  those  who  had 
colonies  to  supply  the  demand  there,  and  those  who  had  none, 
to  make  money  by  helping  to  supply  the  demands  of  planters 
belonging  to  other  countries.  Before  the  middle  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  the  slave  trade  was  in  full  vigour  ; and  almost  all 
Europe  was  implicated  in  buying  and  selling  negroes.  It  is 
stated  by  Macpherson,  in  his  “ History  of  Commerce,”  that  “ the 
number  of  Africans  shipped  in  1768,  by  all  nations,  for  America 
and  the  West  Indies,  was  estimated  at  97,000;  that  of  those 
the  British  shipping  took  60,000,  the  French  23,000 — the  re- 
mainder being  divided  in  small  portions  among  the  ships  of 


I 12 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


other  nations,  the  Portuguese  at  that  time  only  taking  1,700.” 
In  succeeding  years  the  slave  trade  became  still  more  extensive, 
and  it  has  been  estimated  that  in  the  course  of  a single  century 
no  fewer  than  2,130,000  negroes  were  dragged  away  from  their 
native  land,  and  transported  to  the  British  West  Indies  alone, 
independent  of  the  vast  numbers  enslaved  by  other  nations.  As 
far  back  as  1732,  Liverpool,  in  one  year,  procured  and  carried 
over  22,720  slaves;  the  net  profits  being  estimated  at^ 2 14,61 7; 
and  it  is  believed  that  Bristol  was  not  a whit  behind  her  sister 
seaport  in  her  interest  in  this  infamous  traffic. 

Methods  of  Procuring  Slaves. 

The  effects  produced  in  Africa  itself,  by  this  wholesale  traffic 
in  her  own  children,  may  be  more  readily  imagined  than  de- 
scribed. It  stamped  with  a tenfold  curse  that  system  of  slavery 
which  had  previously  existed  for  centuries  in  that  benighted 
land.  The  demand  for  slaves  soon  became  so  great,  and  the 
prices  offered  by  captains  of  slave  ships  in  red  cloth,  knives, 
looking-glasses,  beads,  rum,  and  tobacco,  so  tempting,  that 
all  kinds  of  means  were  adopted  by  the  petty  kings,  chiefs, 
and  caboceers  to  procure  the  required  number  of  victims. 
Domestic  slaves,  who  had  hitherto  been  a privileged  class,  were 
now  frequently  sold  and  sent  off  for  the  most  trifling  offence, 
or  without  any  offence  at  all  when  the  demand  was  unusually 
pressing.  Petty  wars  were  waged  for  the  express  purpose  of 
seizing  and  dragging  into  hopeless  bondage  young  negroes  of 
both  sexes  likely  for  the  market,  old  people  and  infants  being 
frequently  put  to  death  as  not  available  for  the  purpose. 
Wicked  men  were  constantly  prowling  about  with  a view  to 
kidnap  and  carry  off  all  who  came  within  their  reach ; and  it 
was  not  an  unusual  circumstance  for  a friend  or  brother,  a 
sister,  or  a child,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  “ the  man-stealer,” 
who  thus  stood  related  to  his  hapless  victims  by  the  tenderest 
ties  of  nature.  The  strife  and  enmity,  and  earnest  desire  to 
enslave  each  other  for  the  sake  of  paltry  gain,  which  was 
manifested  by  the  sable  sons  and  daughters  of  Ham,  as  the 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade.  1 1 3 

result  of  the  foreign  slave  trade,  was  not  confined  to  the  coast, 
but  extended  far  away  into  the  interior  of  the  vast  continent. 
In  this  way  Central  Africa  came  to  be  the  “great  mother”  of 
the  slaves  required  for  exportation ; and  the  negro  villages  on 
the  coast,  under  the  control  of  petty  interested  chiefs,  were 
converted  into  so  many  “ nurseries  ” or  warehouses,  where  the 
slaves  were  kept  in  the  infamous  barracoons  till  the  ships  of 
the  white  men  came  to  carry  them  across  the  Atlantic. 

The  accounts  we  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  poor  captured 
negroes  of  the  sufferings  they  endured  when  seized  by  the 
merciless  man-stealer,  and  on  their  long  and  dreary  march 
down  to  the  coast,  were  truly  heartrending.  The  mode  of  pro- 
ceeding adopted  by  a regular  slave-hunting  party,  in  anticipation 
of  the  arrival  of  a slave  ship,  appears  to  have  been  generally 
as  follows ; — The  European,  or  half-caste  agent  (generally  a 
Portuguese),  in  charge  of  the  depot,  would  muster  his  gang  of 
desperadoes,  consisting  of  the  wildest  and  most  savage  natives 
to  be  found  in  the  country.  These  being  well  armed,  and 
provisioned  with  an  ample  supply  of  rice  and  rum  for  several 
days  or  weeks,  would  set  out  on  a lengthened  tour  into  the 
interior.  Having  fixed  upon  a peaceful  village  to  be  attacked 
during  the  night,  they  would  skulk  in  the  adjacent  woods  till 
the  appointed  hour,  and  then,  on  a signal  being  given  by  the 
captain  of  the  expedition,  they  would  pounce  upon  the  place, 
set  fire  to  the  huts,  and  capture  the  hapless  natives  when 
attempting  to  escape.  Helpless  infants,  old  people  unfit  for 
slaves,  and  those  who  offered  violent  resistance,  were  frequently 
put  to  death  at  once;  whilst  the  young  men  and  women  and 
boys  and  girls  who  fell  into  their  hands  were  closely  pinioned, 
and  with  their  heads  made  fast  in  forked  sticks,  or  tied  to  the 
slave-chain,  they  were  driven  to  the  coast  as  cattle  to  the 
market. 


The  Middle  Passage. 

When  the  slave  trade  became  fully  organized,  means  were 
adopted  by  European  merchants  to  secure  greater  constancy 

8 


1 14  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

and  regularity  in  the  supply  of  negroes  for  the  West  India 
market,  and  to  have  them  transported  across  the  Atlantic  as 
quickly  as  possible.  At  first  the  slave  vessels  only  visited  the 
coast  of  Africa  in  a casual  way,  and  bargained  with  the  native 
chiefs  and  others,  at  the  places  where  they  called,  for  such 
slaves  or  other  produce  as  they  happened  to  have  on  hand. 
But  this  was  found  to  be  a dreary  and  inconvenient  mode  of 
doing  the  business ; and  the  sickly  season  frequently  came  on 
before  the  ships  were  ready  to  depart,  and  many  of  the  sailors 
were  cut  down  by  fever.  As  an  improvement  in  the  plan  of 
conducting  the  traffic,  African  trading  companies  were  formed, 
and  small  European  settlements  were  planted  at  intervals  along 
the  western  coast,  all  the  way  from  Cape  Verd  to  the  equator, 
by  English,  Dutch,  French,  and  Portuguese  mercantile  firms. 
These  were  called  slave  factories,  and  agents  were  appointed  in 
connection  with  them,  whose  business  it  was  to  negotiate  with 
native  traders,  stimulate  them  to  activity  in  their  slave-hunting 
expeditions,  and  to  purchase  slaves  and  other  produce,  that 
they  might  be  ready  in  the  barracoons  when  the  ships  called  to 
take  in  their  cargoes  at  the  appointed  season.  Vessels  were, 
moreover,  constructed  specially  for  this  trade,  and  fitted  with 
water  casks,  cooking  apparatus,  and  everything  complete ; not 
forgetting  chains,  handcuffs  and  other  irons  for  the  refractory. 

In  many  instances  the  toils  and  sufferings  of  the  long  and 
weary  march  from  the  interior  to  the  coast  were  scarcely  ended, 
when  the  word  of  command  was  given  for  the  poor  negroes  to 
go  on  board  the  slave  ship  riding  at  anchor  in  the  roads.  Then 
the  miseries  of  the  middle  passage  commenced,  the  character 
and  extent  of  which  could  only  be  fully  known  by  those  who 
endured  or  witnessed  them.  The  first  thing  was  the  embarka- 
tion, in  large  canoes  prepared  for  the  purpose.  As  a violent 
surf  generally  breaks  upon  the  sandy  beach  all  along  the  coast, 
the  heavy  swell  of  the  sea  is  sometimes  alarming,  and  this 
operation  is  frequently  attended  with  difficulty  and  danger.  We 
have  known  many  instances  of  canoes  being  upset  and  slaves 
being  drowned  in  the  course  of  embarkation.  These  casualties 


SI.,U|.:>i  ox  rilKIK  .MARCH  I-ROM  THR  IXTKKIOR  TO  'I  H I- 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade.  1 1 5 

were  regarded  as  so  many  losses  of  valuable  property,  but  very 
little  feeling  was  manifested  for  the  poor  sufferers. 

The  horrors  of  the  middle  passage  may  be  best  illustrated  by 
quoting  a few  sentences  from  the  testimony  of  an  eye-witness. 
Mr.  Falconbridge,  a surgeon  on  board  a slaver,  writing  of  a 
period  anterior  to  the  year  1790,  makes  the  following  state- 
ment : — “ The  men  negroes,  on  being  brought  on  board  ship, 
are  immediately  fastened  together,  two  and  two,  by  handcuffs 
on  their  wrists,  and  by  irons  riveted  on  their  legs.  They  are 
frequently  stowed  so  close  together  as  to  admit  of  no  other 
posture  than  that  of  lying  on  their  sides.  Neither  will  the 
height  between  decks,  unless  directly  under  the  grating,  permit 
them  the  indulgence  of  an  erect  position,  especially  where 
there  are  platforms,  which  is  generally  the  case.  These  plat- 
forms are  a kind  of  shelves,  about  eight  or  nine  feet  in  breadth, 
extending  from  the  side  of  the  ship  towards  the  centre.  They 
are  placed  nearly  midway  between  the  decks,  at  the  distance 
of  two  or  three  feet  from  each  deck.  Upon  these  the  negroes 
are  stowed  in  the  same  manner  as  they  are  on  the  deck 
beneath.  It  often  happens  that  those  who  are  placed  at  a dis- 
tance from  the  buckets,  in  endeavouring  to  get  to  them,  tumble 
over  their  companions,  in  consequence  of  their  being  shackled. 
These  accidents,  though  unavoidable,  are  productive  of  con- 
tinual quarrels,  in  which  some  of  them  are  always  bruised. 

“ In  favourable  weather  the  slaves  are  fed  upon  deck,  but  in 
bad  weather  their  food  is  given  to  them  below.  Numberless 
quarrels  take  place  among  them  during  their  meals,  more  espe- 
cially when  they  are  put  upon  short  allowance,  which  frequently 
happens.  In  that  case,  the  weak  are  obliged  to  be  content 
with  a very  scanty  portion.  Their  allowance  of  water  is  about 
half  a pint  at  each  meal.  Upon  the  negroes  refusing  to  take 
their  food,  I have  seen  coals  of  fire,  glowing  hot,  put  on  a 
shovel,  and  placed  so  near  their  lips  as  to  scorch  and  burn 
them,  and  this  has  been  accompanied  by  threats  of  forcing  them 
to  swallow  the  coals  if  they  any  longer  persisted  in  refusing  to 
eat.  These  means  have  generally  the  desired  effect.” 


1 1 6 Africa : Past  ajid  Present. 

Falconbridge  then  tells  us  that  the  negroes  are  sometimes 
compelled  to  dance  and  sing  on  board  the  slave  ships,  and  that 
if  any  reluctance  is  exhibited,  the  cat-o’-nine-tails  is  employed 
to  enforce  obedience.  He  goes  on  to  mention  the  unbounded 
license  given  to  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  slavers  as  regards 
the  women ; and  speaking  of  the  officers,  he  says,  “ they  are 
sometimes  guilty  of  such  brutal  excesses  as  disgrace  human 
nature.”  “But,”  he  continues,“the  hardships  and  inconveniences 
suffered  by  the  negroes  during  the  passage  are  scarcely  to  be 
enumerated  or  conceived.  They  are  far  more  violently  affected 
by  sea-sickness  than  Europeans.  It  frequently  terminates  in 
death,  especially  among  the  women.” 

The  same  witness,  when  speaking  of  other  trials  which  the 
poor  slaves  endure  in  the  course  of  the  middle  passage,  says : 
“ The  exclusion  of  fresh  air  is  another  cause  of  suffering.  Most 
ships  have  air-ports ; but  when  the  sea  is  rough  and  the  rain 
heavy,  it  becomes  necessary  to  shut  these,  and  every  other 
avenue  by  which  air  is  admitted.  The  fresh  air  being  thus 
excluded,  the  hold  of  the  vessel  very  soon  becomes  intolerably 
hot.  The  confined  air,  rendered  noxious  by  the  effluvia  exhaled 
from  their  bodies,  and  by  being  repeatedly  breathed,  soon 
produces  fevers  and  fluxes,  which  generally  carry  off  great 
numbers  of  them.  During  the  voyages  that  I made,  I was 
frequently  a witness  to  the  fatal  effects  of  this  exclusion  of  fresh 
air.”  Then  follow  many  affecting  details,  at  the  conclusion  of 
which  the  writer  observes,  in  reference  to  a certain  voyage : 
“ Circumstances  of  this  kind  often  happen,  and  sometimes  to  a 
greater  degree  than  what  has  just  been  described,  particularly 
when  slaves  are  much  crowded — which  was  not  the  case  at  that 
time,  the  ship  having  more  than  a hundred  short  of  the 
number  she  was  to  have  taken  in  ; yet,  out  of  380,  185  died  on 
the  passage, — a proportion  seemingly  very  great,  but  by  no 
means  uncommon.  One-half,  sometimes  two-thirds,  and  even 
beyond  that,  have  been  known  to  perish  in  the  course  of  the 
passage.” 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade. 


117 


Slaves  in  Exile. 

The  sufferings  of  the  poor  slaves,  thus  torn  away  by  tens  of 
thousands  from  their  native  land,  and  huddled  together  on 
board  small  and  inconvenient  vessels,  at  the  peril  of  both  life  and 
limb,  did  not  terminate  with  the  middle  passage,  even  if  they 
were  able  to  bear  up  and  endure  its  horrors  to  the  end.  The 
few  survivors  who  reached  the  scene  of  their  exile  were  gene- 
rally landed  in  a state  of  great  weakness  and  emaciation. 
Having  been  conducted  to  the  yards  and  sheds  prepared  for 
their  reception,  some  attention  was  paid  to  their  wants  by 
their  avaricious  owners — on  the  same  principle  that  cattle 
are  prepared  for  the  market  by  the  thrifty  farmer.  When  the 
condition  of  the  poor  captives  was  improved  somewhat,  by 
the  dressing  of  their  wounds,  the  administration  of  physic,  and 
a more  ample  supply  of  food,  they  were  ready  for  the  market  or 
the  auction,  and  were  frequently  put  up  for  sale  and  knocked 
down  to  the  highest  bidder,  like  sheep  or  oxen.  The  lot  of  a 
few  who  wei'e  drafted  off  as  domestic  servants,  to  wait  upon 
their  masters  and  mistresses,  and  to  do  light  work  about  the 
“ great  house,”  was  comparatively  favourable ; but  the  fate  of 
the  majority,  who  were  doomed  to  toil  beneath  a burning 
tropical  sun  in  the  swampy  cane-fields  of  some  of  the  West 
India  colonies,  was  hard  indeed. 

Many  pages  might  be  filled  with  shocking  details  of  cruelty 
and  oppression  which  came  under  the  personal  observation  of 
the  present  writer  during  the  years  that  he  spent  among  the 
poor  negroes  in  the  lands  of  their  exile,  striving  to  cheer  them 
under  their  sufferings  and  to  prepare  them  for  that  happy  place 
where  “ the  wicked  cease  from  troubling  and  the  weary  are  at 
rest.”  Suffice  it  to  say  that  their  labour  was  frequently  very 
severe,  their  food  coarse  and  scanty,  and  their  clothing  barely 
sufficient  for  common  decency.  As  a rule,  no  regard  whatever 
was  paid  to  their  moral  and  religious  welfare,  for  they  appeared, 
in  most  instances,  to  be  looked  upon  as  mere  animals  having 


ii8 


Africa:  Past  and  Present, 


no  souls.  For  any  deficiency  in  the  performance  of  the  daily  task, 
or  for  any  other  real  or  imaginary  fault,  the  punishments  inflicted 
by  flogging  and  otherwise  were  sometimes  fearful  to  contemplate, 
and  still  more  so  to  witness,  as  we  have  sometimes  been  obliged 
to  do.  In  one  word,  the  lives  of  the  poor  slaves  in  America 
and  the  West  Indies,  under  the  treatment  of  most  owners  (for 
we  are  free  to  admit  that  we  met  with  a few  noble  exceptions) 
were  a continued  scene  of  wretchedness  and  misery  truly  hard 
to  bear ; hence  the  occasional  insurrections  which  broke  out, 
and  which  for  the  time  involved  them  in  still  greater  misery 
and  ruin. 

Nor  let  it  be  supposed  that  these  poor  outcasts  were  void  of 
feeling,  or  indifferent  to  the  privations  and  sufferings  to  which 
they  were  exposed  in  being  torn  away  from  their  native  country, 
shut  up  so  long  in  the  hold  of  a slave  ship,  and  doomed  to 
live  and  labour  in  a land  of  strangers  for  the  benefit  of  others. 
We  have  witnessed  among  them  instances  of  the  keenest  sensi- 
bility, and  heard  from  their  lips,  with  feelings  of  deep  emotion, 
their  own  artless  stories  of  what  they  felt  when  they  first  saw 
the  “ great  salt  water,”  across  which  they  knew  full  well  they 
were  to  be  taken,  and  the  anguish  they  experienced  when 
forcibly  separated  from  parents,  brothers,  sisters,  and  friends. 
And  we  have  heard  narrations  of  the  most  painful  interest  of 
severe  floggings  and  other  punishments  inflicted  upon  them  in 
the  lands  of  their  exile,  making  life  almost  unbearable ; whilst 
the  speakers  would  sometimes  burst  into  tears,  and  thank  God 
that  He  had  enabled  them  to  bear  it  all,  and  especially  that  He 
had  overruled  their  misfortunes  for  good  in  bringing  them  to  a 
place  where  they  were  favoured  to  hear  the  good  news  of  salva- 
tion. The  touching  language  of  the  prophet  might  be  truly 
applied  to  the  African  race  in  their  bitter  bondage  : “ This  is 
a people  robbed  and  spoiled ; they  are  all  of  them  snared  in 
holes,  and  they  are  hid  in  prison-houses ; they  are  for  a prey, 
and  none  delivereth ; for  a spoil,  and  none  saith.  Restore  ” 
(Isaiah  xlii.  22). 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade. 


119 


Abolition  of  the  Slave  Trade. 

Having  thus  briefly  traced  the  rise,  progress,  extent,  and 
character  of  African  slavery  and  the  slave  trade,  we  would  now 
direct  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  the  circumstances  which 
led  to  the  nominal  abolition  of  the  accursed  traffic  by  Great 
Britain,  and  ultimately  to  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves 
throughout  the  British  empire,  with  a few  observations  on  the 
position  of  the  question  at  the  present  time. 

As  early  as  the  year  1512,  when  the  importation  of  negroes  to 
the  West  Indies  began  to  assume  the  character  of  a regular 
trade.  Cardinal  Ximenes  protested  earnestly  against  the  thing 
as  a sin  against  God  and  man ; but  such  was  the  cupidity  of 
the  parties  interested,  that  his  pious  remonstrance  was  disre- 
garded. In  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  Rev. 
Morgan  Godwyn,  an  English  clergyman,  who  had  himself 
witnessed  the  horrors  of  slavery  in  the  island  of  Barbadoes, 
broached  the  subject  of  abolition  in  a volume  which  he  pub- 
lished under  the  title  of  “The  Negro  and  Indian’s  Advocate”; 
and  about  a century  later  John  Woolman  and  Anthony  Benezet, 
two  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  in  America,  exerted 
themselves  nobly  in  its  interests.  Woolman  travelled  far  and 
near  among  the  people  of  his  own  persuasion,  trying  to  induce 
them  to  relinquish  all  connection  with  the  traffic  in  negroes ; 
and  Benezet  founded  a negro  school  in  Philadelphia,  whilst  at 
•the  same  time  he  denounced  the  slave  trade  in  various  publica- 
tions which  he  prepared  for  circulation.  So  powerful  >vas  the 
effect  produced  by  the  united  labours  of  these  two  philanthropic 
men,  especially  in  the  religious  community  to  which  they 
belonged,  that  in  the  year  1754  the  “ Friends  ” in  America 
came  to  a resolution  declaring  “that,  to  live  in  ease  and 
plenty  by  the  toil  of  those  whom  fraud  and  violence  had  put 
under  their  power  was  consistent  neither  with  Christianity  nor 
common  justice.”  This  declaration  was  followed  up  by  the 
abolition  of  slave  labour  among  the  “Friends,”  the  penalty  of 


I 20 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


keeping  a slave  being  excommunication  from  the  Society. 
From  this  time  the  Society  of  Friends,  as  a religious  commu- 
nity, distinguished  themselves,  both  in  America  and  England, 
by  their  unwearied  efforts  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the 
poor  negro  in  every  possible  way ; and  the  first  petition  ever 
presented  to  the  British  Parliament  on  the  subject  of  slavery 
emanated  from  them. 

A committee  of  benevolent  gentlemen  was  at  length  organised 
in  London,  which  had  for  its  express  object  the  abolition  of  the 
African  slave  trade ; and  public  feeling  was  aroused  to  a state 
of  great  excitement  on  the  subject.  Several  talented  and 
powerful  writers  also  appeared  on  the  stage  of  action  as  the 
friends  and  advocates  of  the  negro  race.  Amongst  these  may 
be  mentioned  Richard  Baxter,  Bishop  Porteus,  James  Ramsay, 
Joseph  Wood,  George  Whitefield,  and  John  Wesley.  Some  of 
these  honoured  gentlemen  and  ministers  were  able  to  speak 
and  write  from  personal  experience,  having  witnessed  the 
abominations  of  slavery  and  the  slave  trade  in  America  and  the 
West  Indies.  Mr.  Wesley  especially  took  up  the  subject  with 
characteristic  zeal  and  earnestness.  In  his  masterly  tractate 
entitled  “ Thoughts  on  Slavery,”  he  denounced  the  traffic  in 
human  beings  as  “ the  sum  of  all  villainies,”  and  placed  the 
question  in  all  its  bearings  in  a most  convincing  light  before 
the  British  public.  The  interest  of  the  venerable  founder  of 
Methodism  in  the  oppressed  negro  race  continued  unabated 
to  the  end  of  his  useful  life ; and  it  is  an  interesting  fact  that 
the  last  letter  he  ever  wrote  was  addressed  to  Mr.  Wilberforce 
on  the  subject  a few  days  before  his  death,  urging  the  zealous 
philanthropist  to  proceed  in  his  “ glorious  enterprise  ” of  seeking 
the  abolition  of  the  accursed  traffic.  “ Go  on,”  he  writes,  “in 
the  name  of  God  and  in  the  power  of  His  might,  till  even 
American  slavery  (the  vilest  that  ever  saw  the  sun)  shall  vanish 
away  before  it.” 

In  1785  the  Vice-Chancellor  of  the  University  of  Cambridge 
proposed  “the  slave  trade”  as  the  subject  of  a prize  essay. 
This  prize  was  gained  by  Mr.  Clarkson,  then  a young  man  of 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade. 


12  I 


twenty-four.  The  study  of  the  subject,  in  connection  with  the 
preparation  of  his  essay,  made  such  a powerful  impression  upon 
the  mind  of  the  young  student  that  he  was  induced  from  that 
time  to  devote  all  his  powers  of  body  and  soul  to  the  cause 
of  abolition.  He  visited  every  person  he  could  find  in  and 
around  London  who  had  been  in  Africa  or  the  West  Indies, 
or  in  any  situation  that  gave  him  an  insight  into  the  character 
of  the  slave  trade.  He  boarded  vessels  that  had  been  engaged 
in  the  traffic,  and  inspected  the  wretched  holds  in  which  the 
poor  slaves  had  been  confined  during  their  passage  across  the 
Atlantic.  In  one  word,  he  devoted  his  whole  life  to  waging  an 
implacable  war  against  slavery  and  the  slave  trade  in  all  their 
horrid  forms. 

The  evidence  collected  by  Mr.  Clarkson  on  the  subject  of 
the  slave  trade  attracted  the  attention  of  Wilberforce,  and 
secured  his  valuable  co-operation.  On  Sunday,  October  21st, 
1787,  that  eminent  philanthropist  made  this  striking  entry  in 
his  journal : “ God  Almighty  has  placed  before  me  two  great 
objects, — the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade,  and  the  reforma- 
tion of  manners.”  The  reformation  of  manners  he  did  not  see 
fully  accomplished,  but  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade  he 
did ; and  just  before  he  passed  away  from  this  world,  he  was 
cheered  with  the  delightful  intelligence  that  the  royal  assent 
had  been  given  to  a Bill  entirely  abolishing  slavery  from  the 
British  dominions.  This  was  the  result  of  a long  and  arduous 
struggle,  however;  and  it  required  the  united  and  constant 
efforts  of  Wilberforce,  Clarkson,  and  Sharp,  together  with  those 
of  others  who  were  associated  with  them  in  the  powerful 
confederacy  which  was  organized  to  carry  on  the  campaign. 

For  twenty  years  did  this  noble  band  of  Christian  philan- 
thropists labour  before  the  first  great  object  which  they  aimed 
I at  was  fully  accomplished.  Their  modes  of  operation  were 
various,  and  no  means  were  neglected  to  secure  the  desired 
result.  Reliable  information  on  the  extent  and  abominations 
of  the  slave  trade  was  carefully  collected  and  zealously  circu- 
lated ; Parliament  was  urged  by  petitions  to  interpose  on  behalf 


122 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


of  the  poor  downtrodden  negro  race ; and  all  other  likely 
means  were  employed  to  interest  the  public  in  the  important 
question.  For  a long  time,  however,  but  little  impression 
appeared  to  be  made  by  these  efforts ; for,  although  a few 
minor  measures  were  adopted,  professedly  to  abate  some  of  the 
most  glaring  cruelties  of  the  traffic,  for  seven  years  in  succes- 
sion was  Mr.  Wilberforce’s  annual  motion  for  its  abolition 
thrown  out.  Such  was  the  result  of  the  opposition  that  was 
organized  against  the  movement,  and  of  the  influence  exercised 
by  interested  parties  both  in  England  and  in  the  Colonies. 
Still  the  friends  of  freedom  persevered  in  their  noble  work,  and 
by  the  blessing  of  God  their  efforts  were  at  length  crowned  with 
complete  success.  The  Bill  for  the  total  abolition  of  the 
British  slave  trade,  on  and  after  the  ist  of  January,  1808, 
received  the  royal  assent,  and  was  left  to  take  its  course 
accordingly. 

Emancipation  of  Slaves. 

Perhaps  it  may  be  necessary  here  to  remind  the  reader  of  the 
difference  between  the  slave  trade  and  slavery.  By  the  first  we 
are  to  understand  the  traffic  in  human  beings  when  they  are 
dragged  away  from  their  homes  and  bought  and  sold,  like  brute 
beasts  that  have  no  understanding ; and  by  the  second  is 
meant  that  state  of  bondage  and  servitude  to  which  they  are 
thereby  reduced.  The  slave  trade,  so  far  as  England  was  con- 
cerned, was  now  abolished  by  law ; and  it  was  made  criminal 
for  any  one  henceforth  to  take  away  slaves  from  Africa,  or  from 
any  other  country.  But  notwithstanding  the  achievement  of 
this  great  object,  slavery  itself  continued  in  the  British  colonies 
in  all  its  rigour ; and  the  accounts  which  were  received  from 
time  to  time  of  the  sufferings  of  the  poor  negroes  were  truly 
appalling. 

The  friends  of  the  oppressed  negro  race,  encouraged  by  the 
result  of  their  past  labours,  now  reorganized  their  forces,  and 
commenced  a vigorous  crusade  against  slavery  itself,  as  they 
had  previously  done  against  the  slave  trade.  They  openly 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Trade.  123 

avowed  their  intention  to  agitate  without  ceasing  till  slavery 
should  be  utterly  abolished  from  the  British  empire.  They 
nobly  kept  their  word  ; but  it  was  not  till  after  another  twenty- 
six  years  of  arduous  toil  that  their  object  was  fully  gained. 
This  interval  was  crowded  with  the  most  interesting  incidents 
connected  with  this  philanthropic  movement ; but  our  limited 
space  will  only  admit  of  a very  brief  outline. 

As  years  rolled  on,  several  of  the  earlier  labourers  in  the  cause 
of  emancipation  were  removed  by  death ; but  their  places  were 
supplied  by  others  who  were  raised  up  in  the  order  of  Divine 
Providence.  The  venerable  Wilberforce  himself  felt  the  influ- 
ence of  age  and  debility  creeping  upon  him ; and,  being  less 
able  than  formerly  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  oppressed,  both  in 
and  out  of  parliament,  he  began  to  look  round  for  some  one 
who  would  be  able  and  willing  to  take  his  place  as  the  acknow- 
ledged leader  of  the  movement.  His  eye  fell  upon  the  late  Sir 
Fowell  Buxton,  then  in  the  prime  of  life ; and  he  solemnly 
urged  him  to  come  to  his  aid,  and  to  take  his  place  when  his 
strength  should  fail.  After  mature  deliberation  the  weighty 
charge  was  accepted ; and  henceforth  the  name  of  Buxton 
became  prominently  identified  with  the  struggle  for  the  entire 
abolition  of  slavery. 

At  length  the  nation  rose  en  masse,  and  demanded  of  the 
Government  that  the  slaves  should  be  emancipated.  In  the 
year  1831,  upwards  of  five  thousand  petitions  were  presented  to 
both  Houses  of  Parliament  pleading  for  this ; and  two  years 
subsequently,  a Bill  was  passed  by  an  overwhelming  majority, 
securing  the  freedom  of  all  the  slaves  in  the  British  empire,  on 
the  ist  of  August,  1834,  and  awarding  ;^2o, 000,000  sterling  to 
be  divided  among  the  proprietors  as  compensation  for  the  loss 
they  were  supposed  to  sustain  by  the  arrangement.  It  was 
stipulated,  however,  that  only  the  children  of  six  years  of  age 
and  under  were  to  be  fully  free  at  once.  Domestic  slaves  were 
to  serve  an  “ apprenticeship  ” for  four  years,  and  field  negroes 
for  six  years  ; professedly  to  prepare  them  for  entire  freedom. 
This  was  a great  mistake,  as  the  so-called  “ apprenticeship  ” 


124 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


turned  out  to  be  nothing  but  a modified  form  of  slavery,  and 
was  attended  with  many  peculiarly  aggravating  circumstances. 
But  time  passed  away,  and  at  the  end  of  four  years  the  slaves 
were  found  so  well  prepared  for  the  boon  of  freedom,  and  the 
apprenticeship  system  was  working  so  badly  for  all  parties,  that 
the  respective  local  legislatures  in  the  British  colonies  resolved 
to  remit  the  remaining  two  years  of  servitude  to  the  field 
negroes,  and  all  were  fully  emancipated  on  the  ist  of  August, 
1838. 

Thus  were  800,000  poor  slaves  delivered  from  the  galling 
yoke  of  bondage  in  the  British  colonies  by  the  united  efforts  of 
Christian  philanthropists  and  missionaries,  by  means  of  whose 
unwearied  labours  they  had  been  raised  to  the  position  of  men 
and  brethren.  The  day  of  freedom  was  everywhere  observed 
with  solemn  religious  services  and  public  thanksgiving  to 
Almighty  God ; and  the  present  writer  will  never  forget  with 
what  earnestness  the  assembled  thousands  of  emancipated 
slaves  in  the  West  Indies  sang  the  praises  of  Jehovah  in  His 
sanctuary,  and  with  what  attention  they  listened  to  the  exhorta- 
tions and  counsels  which  were  addressed  to  them  with  reference 
to  their  future  conduct  on  the  memorable  occasion. 

Work  Still  to  be  Done. 

After  the  above  brief  sketch  of  the  character  and  early 
history  of  the  slave  trade,  its  abolition  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment, and  the  emancipation  of  all  the  slaves  in  the  British 
empire,  the  question  may  be  appropriately  asked,  “ Has  the 
African  slave  trade,  then,  ceased  to  exist  ? Would  to  God  that 
we  could  answer  in  the  affirmative  ! But,  alas  ! this  is  not  the 
case.  We  grieve  to  say  that,  although  England  has  vvashed  her 
hands  of  the  foul  stain  of  being  connected  with  the  accursed 
traffic  in  human  beings,  it  is  still  carried  on  by  people  of  other 
nations  in  a manner  and  to  an  extent  truly  appalling. 

The  efforts  made  by  the  British  Government  to  put  a final 
termination  to  the  African  slave  trade,  and  to  slavery  itself 


Slavery  and  the  Slave  Ttade. 


125 


everywhere,  are  deserving  of  the  highest  commendation.  By 
mutual  treaties,  and  diplomatic  influence,  other  nations  were 
induced  at  an  early  period  to  join  in  a general  protest  against 
the  nefarious  traffic,  and  even  to  promise  to  punish  as  pirates 
all  who  might  henceforth  be  found  engaged  in  it.  England 
has,  moreover,  spent  immense  sums  of  money  in  well-meant 
endeavours  to  prevent  this  crying  evil,  in  addition  to  the 
^20,000,000  granted  to  the  planters  as  compensation  for  their 
alleged  losses  on  the  occasion  of  the  glorious  emancipation.  A 
large  number  of  armed  vessels  have  been  kept  for  many  years 
past  cruising  on  the  coast  of  Africa  at  the  expense  of  the  British 
Government,  for  the  express  purpose  of  capturing  slavers, 
liberating  the  poor  victims  of  oppression,  and  bringing  to 
justice  the  incorrigible  offenders.  It  is  a grand  sight  to  witness 
a slave  vessel  towed  into  the  harbour  of  Sierra  Leone  by  a 
British  steamer,  laden  with  captured  negroes,  and  the  crowds 
of  their  fellow-countrymen  standing  on  the  shore  to  welcome 
their  arrival,  hoping  to  meet  a parent,  brother,  sister,  or  friend 
— which  frequently  happens.  But  notwithstanding  the  severity 
of  the  penalty  and  the  vigilance  of  the  British  cruisers,  such 
are  the  inducements  held  out  in  the  shape  of  large  profits,  that 
scores  of  vessels  are  still  employed  in  carrying  on  a smuggling 
trade  in  slaves.  Occasionally  these  daring  adventurers  are 
overtaken  and  captured,  when  the  slaves  are  liberated  and  the 
vessel  seized ; but  such  casualties  are  regarded  with  comparative 
indifference,  as  the  slave  dealers  consider  themselves  amply 
remunerated  if  one-half  of  their  voyages  prove  successful. 

Of  late  years,  by  the  united  labours  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment and  Christian  missionaries,  the  slave  trade  has  been 
driven  from  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  its  former  stronghold ; 
but  it  has  reappeared  with  new  vigour  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  great  continent ; and  according  to  the  testimony  of  Dr. 
Livingstone  and  others,  it  is  evident  that  the  populous  regions 
of  Central  Africa  are  still  being  drained  of  their  most  promising 
youth  to  supply  the  demand  for  slaves,  especially  in  Egypt  and 
other  parts  of  the  Turkish  empire.  Thus  it  appears  that  there 


126 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


is  still  work  to  be  done  by  the  friends  of  freedom  and  of  the 
degraded  and  enslaved  African  race.  Let  British  Christians  ot 
every  name  address  themselves  afresh  to  the  noble  task  of 
proclaiming  “liberty  to  the  captive,  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  doors  to  them  that  are  bound.”  This  may,  perhaps, 
best  be  done  by  the  propagation  of  “ the  glorious  Gospel  of 
the  blessed  God  ” throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
vast  continent  by  the  agency  of  missionary  societies.  Let  no 
means  be  neglected  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  grand 
object.  Then  will  “ Ethiopia  stretch  out  her  hands  unto 
God,”  and  the  beautiful  vision  of  the  poet  be  more  fully 
realized : — 

“ High  on  a rock,  in  solitary  state, 

Sublimely  musing,  pale  Britannia  sate  ; 

Her  awful  forehead  on  her  spear  reclined, 

Her  robe  and  tresses  streaming  in  the  wind ; 

Chill  through  her  frame  foreboding  tremours  crept  1 
The  mother  thought  upon  her  sons,  and  wept ; 

“ Shame  flushed  her  noble  cheek,  her  bosom  bum’d, 

To  helpless,  hopeless  Africa  she  turn’d  ; 

She  saw  her  sister  in  the  mourner’s  face, 

And  rush’d  with  tears  into  her  dark  embrace ; 

‘ All  hail  ! ’ exclaimed  the  empress  of  the  sea, 

‘Thy  chains  are  broken, — Africa,  be  free!'  ” 

Montgomery. 


127 


CHAPTER  IV. 

NORTHERN  AFRICA. 

Africa  in  general — Egypt — Nubia — Abyssinia — The  Barbary  States— 
Barca — Tripoli — F ezzan — T unis — Algiers — Morocco. 

IF  we  spread  before  us  the  map  of  Africa,  preparatory  to  a 
brief  geographical  and  historical  survey  of  its  various 
sections,  we  can  scarcely  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  magnitude 
and  importance  of  the  vast  continent.  Looking  at  it  as  a 
whole,  it  presents  to  our  view  a peninsula  about  4320  miles  in 
ength  from  north  to  south,  and  4140  in  breadth  from  east  to 
west.  Its  shape  is  that  of  an  irregular  pyramid,  at  its  southern 
extremity  tapering  off  almost  to  a point ; so  that  it  has,  properly 
speaking,  only  three  sides.  Its  western  coast,  which  is  by  far 
the  most  extensive,  faces  the  Atlantic,  which  separates  it  from 
the  parallel  or  corresponding  coast  of  America.  To  the  east, 
Africa  looks  out  upon  the  Indian  Ocean,  with  Hindustan 
and  the  Eastern  Archipelago  in  the  remote  distance.  From 
Europe,  Africa  is  separated  by  the  Mediterranean ; and  from 
Asia  by  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Suez  Canal. 

In  former  times  Africa  was  generally  regarded  as  a country 
which  consisted  chiefly  of  extensive  sterile  deserts,  where  the 
vertical  rays  of  a tropical  sun  burned  up  everything  approaching 
to  vegetation ; and  where  a blade  of  grass,  a drop  of  water,  or 
a living  creature  was  not  to  be  seen.  Hence  we  read  and 
heard  of  moving  sands,  tossed  by  the  winds  and  whirling  in 
ceaseless  eddies  through  the  air,  frequently  surrounding  the 


128 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


traveller,  and  threatening  him  and  sometimes  overwhelming  him 
with  instant  destruction,  when  pursuing  his  weary  way  through 
the  trackless  wilds.  That  this  description  will  apply  correctly 
enough  to  some  portions  of  the  vast  continent,  especially 
towards  the  north,  there  can  be  no  doubt ; but  at  the  same 
time  it  must  be  remembered  that  on  the  coasts  generally,  and 
in  some  parts  of  the  interior,  there  are  millions  of  square  miles 
of  rich  and  fertile  lands,  some  of  which  are  open  and  park  like 
in  their  appearance;  and  others  covered  with  extensive  forests 
of  valuable  timber,  where  the  sound  of  the  woodman’s  axe  has 
never  yet  been  heard,  and  which  only  require  the  culture  of 
the  husbandman  to  make  them  produce  an  ample  return  for 
his  labour.  It  is,  moreover,  an  important  fact  that  recent  dis- 
coveries have  brought  to  light,  not  only  rich  and  fertile  regions 
in  the  interior,  but  also  the  existence  of  extensive  lakes  or 
inland  seas,  with  gigantic  navigable  rivers,  which  seem  to  point 
to  a bright  and  glorious  future  for  that  long-neglected  country. 

The  superficial  area  of  the  African  continent  has  been 
estimated  at  13,450,000  square  miles,  and  the  population  at 
70,000,000 ; but,  of  course,  in  the  absence  of  topographical 
surveys,  and  the  taking  of  censuses,  these  figures  can  only  be 
regarded  as  an  approximation  to  the  facts  of  the  case.  On  a 
continent  of  such  vast  dimensions,  the  climate,  soil,  scenery, 
and  the  character  of  the  inhabitants,  vary  considerably,  which 
will  appear  from  our  observations  on  the  various  localities 
which  will  pass  under  review.  Most  parts  of  Northern  Africa, 
to  which  the  present  chapter  is  devoted,  were  knowm  to  the 
ancients,  and  figure  largely  in  the  history  of  former  times. 
This  section  of  the  vast  continent  comprises  Egypt,  Nubia, 
Abyssinia,  and  the  Barbary  States,  each  of  which  w-ill  require  a 
brief  notice. 


Egypt. 

The  land  of  the  Pharaohs,  and  the  scene  of  so  many  thrilling 
incidents  of  Scripture  and  general  history,  must  be  regarded 
by  every  Christian  student  with  feelings  of  profound  interest. 


129 


Northern  Africa, 

Situated  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  one  of  the  vast  sandy 
deserts  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made,  and  in  a 
region  where  rain  seldom  falls,  Egypt  is  entirely  dependent  on 
the  majestic  Nile  for  its  existence  and  amazing  fertility.  By 
the  annual  overflow  of  its  banks,  and  the  inundation  of  the 
whole  country,  aided  by  numerous  canals,  lands  are  abundantly 
watered  and  rendered  productive,  which  would  otherwise  be 
sterile  and  useless.  Tlie  extent  and  resources  of  this  portion 
of  Africa  must  therefore  be  measured  by  the  course  and 
capacity  of  the  mystic  river. 

The  coast  of  Egypt  runs  from  east  to  west,  nearly  in  a 
straight  line,  for  a distance  of  about  150  miles,  and  embraces 
the  two  mouths  of  the  Nile,  with  the  base  of  the  delta,  the 
cities  and  ports  of  Alexandria,  Aboukir,  Rosetta,  Damietta, 
and  the  intervening  territory.  In  ascending  the  river  to  Cairo, 
a distance  of  ninety  miles  from  the  sea,  the  cultivated  tract 
gradually  becomes  narrower,  and  at  length  tapers  almost-  to  a 
point,  and  through  the  whole  of  Upper  Egypt  seldom  exceeds 
the  breadth  of  four  or  five  miles.  Beyond  this  space,  on  the 
east,  the  country  passes,  by  almost  insensible  gradations,  into 
wild  wastes  and  sandy  tracts,  about  a hundred  miles  in  breadth, 
which  stretch  from  the  Nile  to  the  Red  Sea.  On  the  west  the 
transition  from  fertility  to  barrenness  is  still  more  abrupt,  as  a 
few  miles  from  the  river  the  sandy  desert  begins,  w rch  in  one 
direction  separates  Egypt  from  Barbary,  and  in  the  other 
stretches  right  away  into  the  distant  interior  of  Northern 
Africa. 

The  Delta  of  the  Nile,  which  comprises  the  principal  portion 
of  Lower  Egypt,  is  the  most  fertile  and  populous  part  of  the 
country.  It  is  studded  with  towns  and  villages  in  every 
direction,  which  appear  as  so  many  little  islands  peeping  up 
above  the  surface  of  the  water  at  the  time  of  the  inundation ; 
but  afterwards,  when  the  crops  begin  to  spring  up,  the  scenery 
is  verdant  and  charming  beyond  description.  The  country 
cannot  be  called  wooded,  however,  the  foliage  which  embellishes 
it  being  chiefly  derived  from  fruit  and  garden  trees  of  ordinary 

9 


130  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

size,  which  are  cultivated  with  great  care.  When  the  waters 
retire,  all  the  ground  is  covered  with  mud ; then  the  corn  is 
sown  and  harrowed  in  with  comparatively  little  labour,  and  in 
the  following  March  there  is  usually  a plentiful  harvest.  Indeed, 
some  of  the  land  is  so  fertile,  and  the  climate  so  favourable  to 
vegetation,  that  the  farmers  raise  three  crops  a year.  There  is 
no  place  in  the  world  better  furnished  with  corn,  flesh-meat, 
fish,  sugar,  fruits,  and  all  sorts  of  garden  vegetables. 

Eg)pt  has  a long,  chequered,  and  interesting  history,  into 
the  particulars  of  which  we  cannot  enter.  It  has  always  been 
famous  for  its  splendid  buildings  and  architectural  adorn- 
ments. In  some  of  the  existing  cities  and  towns — as  Alexandria, 
Rosetta,  Damietta,  Cairo,  and  others — although  the  streets  are 
narrow  and  crooked,  m.any  remarkable  edifices  present  them- 
selves to  our  view ; but  these  are  poor  and  insignificant  com- 
pared with  the  erections  of  former  times,  as  clearly  appears 
from  the  remains  of  gigantic  pillars,  obelisks,  temples,  and 
other  ruins,  M'hich  are  to  be  seen  on  every  hand.  As  we 
ascend  the  Nile,  through  Lower  and  Middle  Egypt,  to  Cairo, 
the  present  capital  of  the  country,  we  are  struck  with  the  evi- 
dences of  its  former  splendour  and  greatness,  which  everywhere 
attract  our  notice  ; but  when  we  proceed  beyond  that  city,  and 
come  in  sight  of  the  wonderful  pyramids,  sphinxes,  and  other 
gigantic  monuments  of  antiquity,  we  are  lost  in  astonishment 
and  surprise, — and  more  so  still  when  we  reach  the  majestic 
ruins  of  ancient  Thebes,  Karnac,  Luxor,  and  other  stupendous 
ruins  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile  in  Upper  Egypt,  especially  if 
we  examine  them  in  the  light  of  ancient  history. 

But,  however  interesting  a country  may  be  in  regard  to 
its  soil,  scenery,  and  general  aspect,  the  character  and  con- 
dition of  its  inhabitants  will  ever  be  the  most  attractive  to  the 
Christian  philanthropist.  The  population  of  Egypt  has  been 
estimated  at  4,900,000,  and  is  very  mixed  and  diversified, — 
comprising  Copts,  Arabs,  Greeks,  Jews,  Syrians,  Armenians, 
Albanians,  Ethiopians,  and  Europeans.  The  forms  of  religion 
professed  are  almost  as  diversified  as  the  nationalities  of  the 


Northern  Africa,  1 3 1 

people,  but  the  most  prevalent  is  Mohammedanism.  It  is 
true  that  a number  of  Copts,  Greeks,  and  Armenians,  as  well 
as  the  few  European  residents,  call  themselves  Christians  ; but 
their  Christianity,  like  that  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  is  of  a 
very  spurious  and  adulterated  character.  Hence  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  travellers  should  give  the  most  appalling  accounts 
of  the  civil,  social,  and  moral  condition  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Egypt  of  all  classes,  whether  they  profess  to  be  Jews,  Moham- 
medans, or  Christians.  Living  under  a government  truly 
despotic,  not  to  say  cruel  and  arbitrary,  the  people  are  stran- 
gers to  civil  and  religious  liberty ; and  they  are  described  as 
ignorant,  superstitious,  and  depraved  in  the  extreme.  Slavery 
and  the  slave  trade,  moreover,  prevail  to  an  alarming  extent, 
although  they  have  been  somewhat  checked  of  late  years  by 
the  intervention  of  British  influence. 

Comparatively  little  has  been  done  as  yet  by  the  great  mis- 
sionary societies  of  Christendom  for  the  elevation  and  evange- 
lization of  the  degraded  population  of  Egypt.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century  the  Wesleyans  had  a missionary 
stationed  at  Alexandria,  but  the  results  of  his  labours  being 
but  slender,  he  was  removed  to  a more  promising  sphere  of 
labour.  The  Church  of  England  and  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  have  done  something  for  this  country  from  time 
to  time,  but  with  little  encouragement.  The  American  United 
Presbyterians  have  been  most  successful  in  this  comparatively 
uninviting  field.  They  employ  seven  missionaries  and  sixty-six 
lay  agents  on  twenty-two  stations,  and  have  gathered  431 
members  into  church  fellowship  and  1149  scholars  into  the 
mission  schools.  The  Khedive  has  been  very  liberal  to  the 
Presbyterians,  having  granted  them  valuable  buildings  for  their 
schools  and  full  toleration  for  their  worship.  The  Church  of 
Scotland  has  also  one  missionary  in  Egypt ; and  Miss  Whately 
has  several  prosperous  Christian  schools  at  Cairo  and  other 
places,  which  have  already  proved  very  useful,  and  which 
promise  in  time  to  become  still  more  fruitful. 


132 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Nubia. 

On  proceeding  southward  from  the  Mediterranean,  through 
Lower,  Middle,  and  Upper  Egypt,  we  come  to  that  part  of  the 
great  African  continent  known  as  Nubia,  which  next  demands 
a brief  description.  Nubia,  like  Egypt,  owes  its  exemption 
from  the  character  of  a complete  desert,  and  its  fertility, 
limited  as  it  is,  entirely  to  the  Nile,  which  winds  its  way  through 
the  land  for  nearly  a thousand  miles,  without  reckoning  the  long 
bend  round  Dongola.  That  great  river,  however,  diffuses  its 
waters  to  Nubia  in  much  more  limited  and  scanty  proportions. 
Being  everywhere  hemmed  in  by  high  banks  and  rocks,  it 
cannot  even,  without  artificial  aid,  be  made  to  inundate,  in 
general,  more  than  a mile  in  breadth  on  one  side  and  scarcely 
any  on  the  other.  The  country,  therefore,  forms  a narrow  belt 
of  immense  length,  nearly  parallel  with  the  Red  Sea  in  the 
distance,  and  with  extensive  sandy  deserts  close  at  hand  on 
both  sides,  where  perpetual  sterility  predominates. 

Notwithstanding  these  and  other  disadvantages  which  might 
be  named,  a considerable  quantity  of  land  is  brought  under 
productive  cultivation  by  means  of  wheels  and  other  rude 
machinery  employed  to  raise  the  waters  of  the  Nile,  and  to 
distribute  them  along  their  appointed  channels  to  the  utmost 
possible  extent.  Dhourra,  a kind  of  pulse,  is  almost  the  only 
grain  produced  in  Nubia;  though  sometimes  the  people  raise  an 
after-crop  of  barley  or  lentils.  Tobacco,  a luxury  in  universal 
demand,  is  also  cultivated  with  success.  Sheep  are  fed  on  the 
tracts  of  land  unfit  for  the  growth  of  grain,  but  they  are  by  no 
means  numerous.  Camels  are  generally  employed  as  beasts 
of  burden  ; and  horses  are  kept  only  by  the  chiefs  or  head- 
men, or  for  military  purposes.  The  Nubians  have  scarcely 
any  manufactures  which  can  be  called  national.  The  women 
make  coarse  woollen  and  cotton  cloth,  mats  from  the  leaves  of 
the  date  tree,  and  the  necessary  implements  for  cooking.  Their 
commerce  is,  nevertheless,  considerable,  as  the  country  affords 


133 


Northern  Africa, 

the  only  practicable  line  of  communication  for  caravans  between 
Arabia  and  Egypt,  and  far  away  to  Abyssinia  and  Central 
Africa.  Along  these  routes,  at  stated  periods,  cotton  goods,  toys, 
arms,  and  various  articles  of  European  merchandise,  are  con- 
veyed to  distant  regions,  where  they  are  highly  prized  by  the 
rude  inhabitants,  and  in  return  for  which  gold,  ivory,  and  slaves 
are  brought  back  in  large  quantities. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  narrow  but  extensive  line  of  territory 
consist  of  two  leading  races.  The  first  are  Nubians  properly 
so  called,  although  they  are  there  styled  Berbers, — a class  of 
natives  of  the  same  race  with  those  who  inhabit  the  moun- 
tainous districts  of  Barbary ; and  the  second  are  negroes,  who 
inhabit  the  southern  portion  of  the  country.  Between  these, 
however,  there  is  a mixed  community  of  Nubians  and  Arabs, 
with  a separate  government  of  their  own,  if  such  it  can  be 
called.  Indeed,  the  whole  region  is  divided  into  small  inde- 
pendent states,  each  town  or  village  having  a melek  or  governor 
of  its  own,  who  exercises  to  the  utmost  whatever  power  he  may 
possess,  which,  according  to  circumstances  or  character,  is  almost 
absolute  sometimes,  and  at  other  times- held  in  the  utmost  con- 
tempt. Each  individual  is  armed  with-  a crooked  knife,  which 
he  is  ever  ready  to  employ  in  deeds  of  violence  ; and  the  cha- 
racter and  condition  of  the  population  generally  is  reported  by 
travellers  to  be  fearfully  depraved.  That  Nubia  was  in  former 
times  inhabited  by  a superior  race  of  people  is  evident  from 
the  magnificent  ruins  which  everywhere  abound.  Those  which 
exist  at  Ibsambul,  Mahass,  El  Belial,  and  other  places,  are 
equal  to  most  of  the  gigantic  ruins  of  Egypt,  and  excite  the 
admiration  and  astonishment  of  all  travellers  by  whom  they 
are  visited. 

The  only  forms  of  religion  known  in  Nubia  are  Mohammed- 
anism, and  the  spurious  types  of  Christianity  already  noticed, 
with  a large  amount  of  pagan  superstition  intermixed  in  both 
cases.  Little  or  nothing  has  been  done  for  the  spiritual 
enlightenment  of  the  people  ; and,  however  unpromising  it  may 
appear,  it  is  undoubtedly  a very  needy  field  of  missionary  labour. 


134 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Abyssinia. 

Tracing  the  course  of  the  Nile  upwards,  through  Egypt  and 
Nubia,  we  come  to  Azzel,  where  it  separates  into  two  main 
branches  which  flow  from  different  and  widely  distant  regions. 
The  one  which  comes  from  the  westward,  known  as  the  White 
Nile,  has  been  recently  ascertained  to  take  its  rise  amid  the 
lakes  and  mountains  of  Central  Africa ; and  the  other,  which 
flows  from  the  eastward,  bears  the  name  of  the  Blue  Nile,  and 
is  known  to  have  its  sources  in  the  rugged  regions  of  Abyssinia. 
Ascending  the  majestic  stream  last  mentioned,  we  come  to  the 
country  of  which  we  may  here  give  a brief  description ; for, 
although  it  extends  far  away  to  the  eastward,  it  may  be  best 
classified  with  the  other  nations  of  Northern  Africa. 

Abyssinia  is  described  by  geographers  as  an  extensive  king- 
dom of  Africa  lying  between  the  7th  and  i6th  degrees  of  north 
latitude  and  the  30th  and  40th  of  east  longitude.  It  is  bounded 
on  the  east  by  the  Red  Sea,  on  the  north  by  Senaar,  and  on 
the  west  and  south  by  Senaar  and  Kordofan,  together  with 
some  barbarous  regions  of  Central  Africa  little  known  as  yet  to 
Europeans.  Its  superficial  area  has  been  computed  to  be  770 
miles  in  length  by  550  in  breadth;  but  this  estimate  can  only 
be  regarded  as  an  approximation  to  its  real  dimensions,  as  the 
boundaries  of  the  kingdom  have  been  subject  to  many  changes. 
Although  this  country  is  generally  mountainous  and  rugged  in 
the  extreme,  extensive  tracts  of  fertile  land  are  to  be  found  in 
the  numerous  valleys,  which  are  well  watered;  and  it  is  alto- 
gether less  desert  and  more  fruitful  than  many  other  regions  of 
Northern  Africa.  Whilst  the  lowlands,  when  carefully  cultivated, 
produce  good  crops  of  grain  and  other  provisions  for  domestic 
use,  the  mountain  slopes  afford  rich  pasture  ground  for  nume- 
rous herds  of  horned  cattle  and  other  stock,  so  that  there  is  no 
danger  of  scarcity  of  food  when  ordinary  effort  and  foresight 
are  used  by  the  inhabitants. 

The  ancients  appear  to  have  known  nothing  of  this  extensive 


Northern  Africa.  135 

region  by  the  name  of  Abyssinia,  or  by  any  other  distinctive  term ; 
hence  they  included  it,  together  with  the  adjacent  territories, 
under  the  comprehensive  and  general  designation  of  Ethiopia. 
That  the  country  was  inhabited  at  an  early  period  by  a people 
who  had  made  considerable  advancement  in  civilization,  arts, 
and  science,  is  evident  from  the  sculptured  monuments,  temples, 
tombs,  and  other  ruins,  which  are  found  at  Axum  and  in  other 
localities.  The  place  just  named  appears  to  have  been  the 
ancient  capital  of  the  kingdom ; but  Gondar  now  enjoys  that 
honour,  whilst  Massuah,  on  the  Red  Sea,  is  the  principal  port 
of  entrance  for  Europeans  and  others.  The  towns  and  villages 
of  Abyssinia  are  described  by  travellers  as  consisting  of  rude 
thatched  dwellings  of  a conical  shape,  and  their  surroundings 
as  corresponding  with  everything  else  pertaining  to  a semi- 
civilized  and  almost  barbarous  people. 

The  travellers  who  have  given  the  most  copious  and  minute 
accounts  of  Abyssinia,  and  the  manners  and  customs  of  its 
inhabitants,  are  Mr.  Bruce  and  Mr.  Sale ; and,  making  allow- 
ance for  some  evident  exaggerations,  the  information  which 
they  furnish  is  both  interesting  and  instructive.  The  gentle- 
man last  named  describes  the  country  as  being  divided  into 
three  separate  and  independent  states — namely,  Tigre,  Amhara, 
and  Shoa,  the  province  occupied  by  the  Galla  tribe.  The 
inhabitants  of  these  and  other  petty  states,  whilst  living  under 
their  own  chiefs  and  frequently  claiming  their  independence, 
have  generally  been  tributary,  and  in  some  way  subject  to  the 
reigning  monarch.  Civil  wars  have  not  been  infrequent,  how- 
ever, and  the  country  has  for  generations  past  been  in  a very 
unsettled  state,  Shoa  having  recently  declared  itself  a separate 
and  independent  kingdom.  No  satisfactory  information  has  yet 
been  obtained  as  to  the  extent  of  the  population  of  Abyssinia. 
The  account  of  Alvarez  is  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  populous 
regions  of  the  globe,  but  this  appears  to  be  an  exaggeration. 
The  most  recent  authorities  estimate  the  number  of  inhabitants 
at  4,000,000. 

However  travellers  and  historians  may  differ  in  their  accounts 


1 3 6 Africa : Past  and  Present. 

and  opinions  of  some  things  relating  to  the  Abyssinians,  all 
agree  in  representing  them  to  be  in  a very  barbarous  condition, 
judging  from  their  social  habits  and  moral  conduct.  The  slight 
semblance  of  civilization  which  they  possess  has  been  derived 
chiefly  from  their  intercourse  with  Egypt  and  Arabia,  and  is  very 
superficial  indeed.  Their  domestic  life  is  marked  by  habits 
more  gross  and  revolting  than  any  that  have  been  witnessed 
among  the  most  savage  tribes  of  Africa.  Some  of  these  are 
such  that  the  bare  report  of  them  shook  the  confidence  and 
credit  of  the  British  people  in  the  statements  of  Bruce,  their 
countryman,  on  his  return  from  his  extensive  travels;  and  yet 
subsequent  inquiry  has  proved  it  to  have  been  in  the  main 
correct. 

The  Abyssinians  are  nevertheless  proud  of  their  ancestry. 
Relying  on  vague  tradition,  they  boast  of  their  relationship  to 
Solomon,  king  of  Israel,  resulting  from  the  visit  of  the  Queen 
of  Sheba  to  Jerusalem,  as  recorded  in  Scripture  history.  They 
also  claim  to  have  received  their  Christianity  from  its  fountain- 
head in  Judaea,  on  the  return  of  the  Ethiopian  eunuch  to  the 
court  of  Queen  Candace,  after  his  conversion  to  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel  by  Philip  the  evangelist.  Whether  there  be  any 
truth  in  these  traditions  or  not,  if  is  a fact  that  the  only  form 
of  religion  found  in  the  country  by  the  first  Europeans  who 
went  there,  was  a spurious  kind  of  Christianity  resembling  that 
of  the  Copts  in  Egypt.  Indeed,  their  church,  if  such  it  can 
be  called,  owns  the  supremacy  of  the  Patriarch  of  Cairo,  and 
from  him  their  Abuna,  or  ecclesiastical  head,  receives  his  in- 
vestiture. By  a regulation  supposed  to  have  been  made  with 
a view  of  securing  a greater  measure  of  learning  than  could  be 
expected  to  be  found  in  an  Abyssinian,  this  pontiff  must  be  a 
foreigner.  As  such,  however,  he  is  usually  ignorant  of  the 
language  of  the  country ; and  his  influence  and  means  of 
holding  communication  with  the  people  are  consequently  much 
circumscribed.  The  Abyssinians  combine  with  their  Christian 
profession  many  Judaical  observances — such  as  circumcision, 
abstinences  from  meats,  and  the  observance  of  Saturday  as  well 


Northern  Africa. 


137 


as  Sunday  as  a Sabbath.  At  the  same  time,  they  share  largely 
the  superstitions  which  have  infected  the  Romish  Church. 
Their  calendar  of  saints  is  equally  extensive,  and  scarcely  a 
day  occurs  which  is  not  consecrated  to  one  of  them.  They 
maintain  that  no  nation  except  themselves  holds  the  Virgin 
Mary  in  due  reverence.  They  have  numerous  rude  churches, 
with  paintings  and  adornments  which  are  perfectly  ridiculous 
to  look  upon ; and  all  their  religious  observances  are  calculated 
to  excite  pity,  if  not  contempt,  in  the  heart  of  the  intelligent 
beholder. 

We  must  now  briefly  notice  the  efforts  which  have  been 
jnade  from  time  to  time,  by  the  Christian  people  of  Europe,  for 
the  benefit  of  the  ignorant  and  degraded  natives  of  Abyssinia, 
with  the  hope  of  reforming  their  morals  and  winning  them  over 
to  a purer  faith.  The  Roman  Catholics  were  the  first  in  this 
field  of  missionary  enterprise,  priests  having  been  sent  from 
Portugal  as  early  as  1620,  to  convert  the  Abyssinian  Chris- 
tians to  the  Catholic  faith.  One  of  these,  named  Paez,  being 
a man  of  considerable  address,  persuaded  the  king  Susneos  to 
proclaim  Roman  Catholicism  the  religion  of  the  state.  This 
bold  step,  however,  occasioned  violent  civil  wars,  which  ended 
in  the  total  expulsion  of  the  Portuguese  from  the  country. 
Jesuit  missionaries  from  France  subsequently  entered  Abys- 
sinia; but  civil  complications  again  occurring,  they  also  were 
banished. 

In  1826,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Gobat  and  Kugler  were  sent  to 
Egypt  by  the  Church  of  England  Missionary  Society,  with  in- 
structions to  proceed  to  Abyssinia  by  the  first  favourable  oppor- 
tunity. After  various  delays,  they  reached  Massuah  on  the  28th 
of  December,  1829.  Their  reception  was  friendly,  and  they 
occupied  themselves  chiefly  in  distributing  copies  of  the  Scrip- 
tures supplied  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  On 
the  29th  of  November,  1830,  Mr.  Kugler  died  by  an  accident 
from  the  bursting  of  his  gun  when  hunting  a wild  boar.  Mr. 
Gobat  was  much  afflicted  by  this  bereavement ; but  he  toiled 
on  for  three  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  England  without 


138  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

having  accomplished  much,  in  consequence  of  continued  oppo- 
sition and  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country.  Other  mission- 
aries followed  in  the  service  of  the  Church  Society,  chiefly 
Germans,  some  of  whom  died,  and  others  returned  having 
failed  to  accomplish  the  object  for  which  they  were  sent.  At 
length  an  end  was  put  to  the  mission,  when  in  1865  an  English 
expedition  was  sent  to  Abyssinia  to  liberate  the  missionaries 
and  other  British  subjects  who  had  been  imprisoned  and  cruelly 
treated  by  the  eccentric  king  Theodore.  The  history  and 
results  of  this  expedition  will  be  fresh  in  the  memory  of  our 
readers. 

Since  then  nothing  has  been  done,  that  we  are  aware  of,  for 
the  evangelization  of  Abyssinia,  with  the  exception  of  some 
desultory  and  feeble  efforts  which  have  been  made  by  the 
London  Society  for  the  Conversion  of  the  Jews  ; the 
Swedish  Missionary  Society,  who  have  a station  at  Massuah ; 
and  the  Pilgrim  Crischona  missionaries — who  are,  however, 
directing  their  chief  attention  to  the  independent  kingdom 
of  Shoa. 


The  Barbary  States. 

Barbary  is  the  general  name  given  to  that  long  line  of  terri- 
tory in  Northern  Africa,  varying  from  one  to  two  hundred  miles 
in  depth,  which  extends  from  Egypt  westward  to  the  shores  of 
the  Atlantic.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Mediterranean, 
and  on  the  south  by  the  Sahara  or  Great  Desert,  which  separates 
it  from  Central  Africa.  The  name,  though  familiar  to  Euro- 
peans, and  derived  probably  from  a tribe  or  native  race  called 
Berbers,  does  not  appear  to  be  recognized  in  the  country  itself. 
Nor  is  this  surprising,  when  we  call  to  mind  the  fact  that  the 
entire  region  is  divided  into  a number  of  separate  and  inde- 
pendent states,  which,  however  resembling  each  other  in 
some  respects,  are,  nevertheless,  widely  different  in  others. 
The  level  plain  which  composes  the  greater  part  of  Barbary 
resembles  somewhat,  in  surface  and  soil,  some  portions  of  that 


Northern  Africa. 


139 


immense  ocean  of  sand  which  extends  over  the  great  part  of  the 
northern  section  of  the  African  continent.  Barbary,  however, 
derives  a superior  and  distinctive  character  from  the  mountain 
chains,  which,  under  the  celebrated  name  of  Atlas,  range 
through  nearly  its  whole  extent  from  west  to  east,  whence  issue 
several  small  rivers  to  fertilize  the  land.  The  loftiest  pinnacle 
is  in  the  west,  rising  above  the  plain  of  Morocco,  and  facing 
the  Atlantic,  where  it  lifts  its  towering  head  even  above  the 
limit  of  perpetual  snow. 

Barbary  appears  to  have  occupied  a more  conspicuous  place 
in  the  ancient  than  it  does  in  the  modern  world.  It  formed 
part,  and  in  some  instances  a prominent  part,  of  the  great 
system  of  civilized  nations  which  existed  around  the  Mediter- 
ranean, long  before  the  discovery  of  America  and  the  coloniza- 
tion of  Britain  by  the  Romans.  But  a great  change  has  passed 
upon  this  part  of  the  world  since  then,  as  will  evidently  appear 
by  a brief  notice  of  the  respective  states  into  which  this  portion 
of  Northern  Africa  is  divided.  They  are  Barca,  Tripoli,  Fezzan, 
Tunis,  Algiers,  and  Morocco. 

Barca. 

Commencing  our  topographical  survey  of  the  Barbary  States 
in  the  east,  and  proceeding  westward,  the  first  to  be  noticed  is 
Barca,  which  is  situated  between  Egypt  and  Tripoli,  with  Derna 
for  its  capital  and  chief  port,  on  the  southern  shore  of  the 
Mediterranean.  The  south  part  of  the  country  is  said  to  be 
sandy  and  barren  in  the  extreme,  and  inhabited  exclusively 
by  wandering  Arabs,  who  are  constantly  roaming  over  these 
regions  and  the  neighbouring  desert  of  Libia.  The  northern 
districts,  stretching  along  the  coast,  are  comparatively  fertile 
and  well  peopled.  The  inhabitants  cultivate  the  ground,  and 
raise  different  kinds  of  grain  and  other  provisions  for  their  own 
use  and  for  exportation. 

In  this  territory,  on  a small  oasis,  surrounded  by  drifting 
sands,  stood  the  far-famed  temple  of  Jupiter  Ammon,  of  which 
we  read  in  ancient  history.  Against  this  temple  it  is  said  that 


140  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

Cambyses,  king  of  Persia,  despatched  an  army  of  50,000  men. 
They  set  out  from  Thebes,  in  Upper  Egypt,  and  after  a weary 
scorching  march  of  seven  days,  reached  the  oasis  in  the  desert 
on  which  the  temple  stood;  but  what  became  of  them  is 
uncertain,  for  it  is  stated  that  they  never  returned  either  to 
Egypt  or  to  their  own  country.  Herodotus  was  informed  that 
the  whole  army  was  overwhelmed  by  a driving  storm  of  wind 
and  sand,  and  perished  in  the  wilderness. 

For  some  time  after,  Barca,  in  common  with  the  other 
Barbary  states,  was  peopled  chiefly  with  Mohammedans,  the 
country  was  subject  to  the  Turks,  and  received  a governor 
appointed  by  the  Porte  at  Constantinople ; but  for  many  years 
past  it  has  been  ruled  by  the  bashaw  of  Tripoli.  In  its  general 
aspect,  soil,  and  climate,  and  in  the  manners,  customs,  and 
social  condition  of  the  people,  Barca  resembles  most  of  the 
other  Barbary  states,  so  that  an  extended  description  is  not 
necessary.  It  is  impossible,  however,  for  an  intelligent 
traveller  to  land  upon  its  shores  without  being  struck  with  the 
absence  of  the  beneficial  and  humanizing  influences  which 
generally  exist  in  Christian  countries. 

Tripoli. 

That  part  of  Northern  Africa  known  as  Tripoli  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  Mediterranean,  on  the  east  by  Barca,  on 
the  south  by  Fezzan,  and  on  the  west  by  Tunis.  This  portion 
of  the  coast,  which  extends  to  a distance  of  nearly  900  miles, 
was  originally  colonized  by  the  Greeks,  and  called  by  them 
Cyrene.  Extensive  ruins  are  still  to  be  seen,  which  clearly 
indicate  the  magnitude  and  importance  of  the  cities  and  towns 
which  existed  here  in  ancient  times.  The  present  capital  of 
the  country  bears  the  name  of  the  state,  and  is  conveniently 
situated  as  its  chief  seaport  on  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean. 
The  city  presents  an  imposing  appearance  from  the  harbour, 
and  contains  some  good  buildings,  one  of  which  is  a splendid 
palace  occupied  by  the  dey,  or  supreme  ruler  of  the  state, 
although  said  to  be  in  some  way  under  the  protection  of  the 


Northern  Africa.  14 1 

Turks.  The  population  of  Tripoli  is  of  a motley  character, 
consisting  of  people  of  various  nationalities ; but  the  majority 
are  Turks,  Arabs,  and  Moors,  all  of  whom  are  rigid  Moham- 
medans. There  have  always  been  a considerable  number  of 
Jews,  however,  with  a few  Europeans,  resident  in  this  country, 
some  of  whom  have  been  at  different  times  appointed  to 
important  offices  under  Government.  The  inhabitants  are  said 
to  be  vicious  and  depraved  in  the  extreme,  but  not  so  bigoted 
in  their  religious  principles  as  the  Moslems  of  some  other  parts 
of  Northern  Africa. 

It  does  not  appear  that  anything  has  been  done  for  the 
spiritual  enlightenment  of  the  inhabitants  of  Tripoli  by  the  great 
missionary  societies  of  Europe,  with  the  exception  of  occasional 
visits  of  the  agents  employed  by  associations  which  have  been 
organized  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Jews. 
An  extensive  field  is  here  open  to  Christian  philanthropists, 
where  it  is  believed  more  liberty  would  be  allowed  to  missionary 
effort  than  is  found  in  most  Mohammedan  countries. 

Fezzan. 

Fezzan  is  described  by  geographers  as  an  interior  kingdom 
of  Northern  Africa,  lying  between  the  great  deserts  of  Sahara 
and  Libia,  to  the  west  and  south-east,  and  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Tripoli.  It  is  an  extensive  plain  encompassed  by 
mountains  except  on  the  western  side ; and  to  the  influence  of 
these  heights  it  may  be  owing  that,  here,  as  in  Upper  Egypt, 
rain  is  scarcely  ever  known  to  fall.  Compensation  is  made  in 
some  measure,  however,  for  this  great  want  by  the  heavy  dews 
that  fall  during  the  night,  and  by  numerous  springs  of  water 
which  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  country;  so  that, 
notwithstanding  the  light  and  sandy  character  of  the  soil,  no 
part  of  Northern  Africa  appears  more  fresh  and  verdant  than 
Fezzan  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year.  The  greatest  length  of 
the  cultivated  part  is  about  300  miles  from  north  to  south, 
and  it  is  200  miles  in  breadth  from  east  to  west.  By  diligent 
irrigation  from  wells  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  deep,  which  are 


142 


Africa.  Past  and  Present. 


dug  in  almost  every  garden  and  patch  of  provision  ground,  the 
husbandman  succeeds  in  raising  various  fruits  and  vegetables, 
among  which  are  dates,  olives,  limes,  pomegranates,  figs,  maize, 
barley,  wheat,  pumpkins,  carrots,  cucumbers,  onions,  and  garlic. 
Among  the  domestic  animals  are  included  sheep,  goats,  cows, 
camels,  asses,  and  fowls ; and  the  inhabitants  live  in  tolerable 
comfort  notwithstanding  the  heat  of  summer,  which  is  sometimes 
intense. 

Fezzan  derives  its  chief  importance  from  the  circumstance  of 
its  being  the  starting-point  of  most  of  the  caravans  which  cross 
the  Great  Desert  to  the  distant  interior  of  Africa.  The  departure 
and  arrival  of  these  caravans,  consisting  sometimes  of  thousands 
of  camels,  men,  women,  and  children,  with  their  merchandise 
of  European  goods,  or  of  gold  dust,  ivory,  and  slaves,  are  the 
great  events  of  the  year  at  Mourzouk,  the  capital  of  the  province; 
and  on  such  occasions  great  excitement  exists  among  the 
inhabitants  of  all  classes.  These  inhabitants  are  of  the  same 
character  as  those  of  the  other  Barbary  states.  The  bashaw 
of  Fezzan  is  tributary  to  Tripoli,  to  the  government  of  which 
he  pays  4000  dollars  a year. 

Tunis. 

From  Tripoli  the  coast  of  Northern  Africa  takes  a sudden 
bend  northward  towards  Sicily,  for  a space  of  about  200 
miles,  and  it  is  on  this  part  of  the  continent  that  Tunis  is 
situated.  No  province  of  Africa  was  more  celebrated  than  this 
in  ancient  times.  In  it  was  the  site  of  Carthage,  wEich  for  so 
many  years  waged  war  with  Rome,  and  disputed  with  her  the 
empire  of  the  world,  until  she  was  at  length  utterly  vanquished 
and  destroyed.  The  ruins  of  the  far-famed  city  may  still  be 
seen  about  ten  miles  from  the  present  capital,  which  bears  the 
same  name  as  the  state.  The  situation  of  Tunis,  projecting 
into  the  Mediterranean,  and  at  an  easy  distance  from  the  finest 
shores  of  Southern  Europe,  is  highly  favourable  for  trade  and 
commerce ; and  it  has  in  all  ages,  and  under  all  the  changes 
through  which  it  has  passed,  asserted  its  pre-eminence  above 


Northern  Africa,  143 

that  of  every  other  place  on  the  coast  of  Barbary.  In  the 
successive  kingdoms  which  the  Saracens  founded,  as  they 
advanced  westward  in  their  career  of  conquest,  they  fixed  their 
capital  first  at  Kairwan,  and  then  at  Tunis  ; and  Carthage  was 
at  length  entirely  deserted.  In  the  sixteenth  century  Tunis 
was  occupied  for  a time  by  Corsair  Barbarossa,  but  in  1574 
it  was  completely  subjected  to  the  Ottoman  power.  On  its 
decline  it  was  for  a long  time  domineered  over  by  the  Turkish 
soldiery  ; but  the  beys  have  of  late  years  succeeded  in  crushing 
the  influence  of  this  body,  and  have  made  themselves  hereditary 
and  almost  absolute  sovereigns.  They  have  generally  governed 
the  province  with  comparative  mildness,  and  done  much  to 
mitigate  the  former  violent  and  bigoted  system,  and  to  introduce 
European  improvements. 

The  soil,  scenery,  and  climate  of  Tunis  differ  little  from  those 
of  other  parts  of  Barbary.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  province 
the  land  is  arid  and  comparatively  unfruitful,  from  the  scarcity 
of  water ; but  towards  the  middle  it  is  better,  and  the  mountains 
and  valleys  abound  with  fruits  and  vegetables  of  various  kinds. 
But  the  west  part  is  the  most  fertile,  being  watered  by  rivers, 
which  flow  from  the  distant  mountains.  The  environs  of  the 
capital  are  very  dry,  and  corn  is  generally  scarce  and  dear ; but 
there  are  plenty  of  citrons,  lemons,  oranges,  dates,  grapes,  and 
other  fruits ; also  olive  trees,  roses,  and  odoriferous  plants. 

The  population  of  Tunis,  which  is  estimated  at  4,000,000, 
are  a mixture  of  Moors,  Turks,  Arabs,  Jews,  and  Christians. 
These  carry  on  a thriving  trade  in  linen  and  woollen  cloth, 
morocco  leather,  gold-dust,  lead,  soap,  horses,  cattle,  and 
ostriches’  eggs  and  feathers.  The  established  religion  of  the 
state  is  Mohammedanism,  and  no  toleration  is  accorded  to 
persons  professing  any  other  creed.  Arabic  is  the  learned 
language  of  the  country,  and  in  this  tongue  all  public  instru- 
ments are  written,  and  instructions  given  in  the  few  Moslem 
colleges  and  schools  which  have  been  established.  Trade  and 
commerce  are  conducted,  however,  in  what  is  called  the  Lingua 
Franca.  In  the  capital  of  the  province  there  are  some  good 


144 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


stone  buildings,  including  several  mosques  and  minarets,  and 
a citadel  on  an  eminence  on  the  west  side  of  the  city.  There 
is  also  an  ancient  palace,  in  which  the  bey  resides  and  the 
divan  or  council  of  state  assembles  for  the  transaction  of  public 
business.  The  manufactures  of  Tunis  are  limited  to  a few 
velvets,  silks,  linen,  and  red  caps  such  as  are  worn  by  the 
common  people. 

The  exclusive  character  of  the  Moslem  faith  has  hitherto 
precluded  all  missionary  effort  for  the  evangelization  of  the 
general  population  of  Tunis.  The  London  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Jews  has,  however,  had 
several  agents  at  work  among  the  descendants  of  Abraham 
resident  there,  as  well  as  among  those  who  have  located  them- 
selves in  the  other  Barbary  states.  A few  copies  of  the  Scriptures, 
supplied  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  have  also 
been  circulated  from  time  to  time ; and  thus  a few  rays  of 
light  have  been  shed  upon  a country  which,  on  the  whole,  is 
notoriously  dark  and  barbarous. 

Algiers. 

The  next  place  on  the  coast  of  Northern  Africa  which  demands 
our  attention  is  the  large  and  important  province  of  Algiers. 
It  is  said  to  be  600  miles  in  length  from  east  to  west,  along 
the  seashore,  and  about  170  miles  in  breadth  inland.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  east  by  Tunis,  on  the  north  by  the  Mediter- 
ranean, on  the  south  by  Mount  Atlas,  and  on  the  west  by 
Morocco.  Mineral  springs  are  met  with  in  many  places,  and 
lead  and  copper  have  been  found  in  some  of  the  mountainous 
districts.  Algiers  is  more  favoured  than  some  of  the  other 
Barbary  states  with  respect  to  water,  as  several  fine  rivers  flow 
from  the  mountains  in  the  interior.  The  elevated  land  towards 
the  north  is  fertile  in  corn,  and  the  valleys  yield  abundance  of 
fruit  and  vegetables.  The  melons  are  said  to  have  an  exquisite 
flavour,  and  are  of  different  kinds,  some  being  ripe  in  summer 
and  others  in  winter.  The  stems  of  the  vines  are  very  large, 
and  bunches  of  grapes  have  been  gathered  a foot  and  a half 


Northern  Africa  145 

long.  Accounts  are  given  of  other  productions  of  the  country 
equally  favourable. 

The  capital  of  the  country  is  a strong  city,  and  bears  the 
same  name  as  the  state.  It  is  built  on  the  side  of  a mountain 
facing  the  Mediterranean,  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre.  It 
presents  an  imposing  appearance  when  viewed  from  the  sea, 
the  houses  being  fairly  well  built,  and  arranged  in  terraces 
one  above  the  other,  and  of  resplendent  whiteness.  The  roofs 
of  the  houses  are  flat ; and,  being  in  some  instances  covered 
with  earth,  are  formed  into  small  garden  plots.  On  landing 
and  entering  the  city,  the  visitor  is  less  favourably  impressed, 
however,  the  streets  being  narrow,  steep,  and  crooked,  and  far 
from  cleanly.  There  are  flve  gates,  but  no  public  places  or 
squares  of  any  considerable  extent.  The  best  buildings  in  the 
place,  whilst  it  continued  in  the  hands  of  the  Turks,  were  the 
mosques,  ten  of  which  were  of  considerable  magnitude.  The 
palace  of  the  dey  was  far  from  being  spacious  or  extensive, 
and  is  now  numbered  with  the  things  that  were.  The  suburbs 
of  the  capital  present  to  the  view  some  handsome  villas  and 
fruitful  gardens,  watered  by  sparkling  rivulets  and  bubbling 
fountains,  and  thither  the  inhabitants  resort  in  considerable 
numbers  in  the  hot  season.  Shocking  stories  are  told  of  the 
rapacity  of  the  Turkish  soldiers  in  former  times.  They  would 
frequently  go  to  the  farmhouses  in  the  country,  and  live  at  free 
quarters  for  days  and  weeks  together,  despite  every  remonstrance, 
and  commit  all  manner  of  depredations.  The  doings  of  the 
pirates  by  sea  were  also  of  the  most  appalling  character.  But 
all  this  is  changed,  now  the  country  has  passed  into  other  hands. 

The  past  history  of  Algiers  is  of  a very  chequered  character, 
of  which  we  can  here  give  but  a brief  outline.  In  1541  the 
emperor  Charles  V.  sent  a fleet  and  army  against  .Algiers,  both 
of  which  were  almost  annihilated,  the  exj)edition  being  entirely 
unsuccessful.  It  was  otherwise,  however,  with  regard  to  the 
English,  who  with  a strong  naval  force  attacked  the  city  in  1635, 
and  again  in  1670,  and  burnt  the  vessels  of  the  merchants  in 
the  harbour,  to  punish  them  for  the  cruel  piracy  which  they 


146 


Africa  : Past  and  Piesent. 


had  been  carrying  on  in  the  Mediterranean  for  many  years,  in 
the  course  of  which  they  captured  and  reduced  to  abject  slavery 
hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  British  subjects.  In  1775  the 
Spaniards  attacked  Algiers,  both  by  sea  and  land,  but  they  were 
repulsed  with  great  loss.  In  1783,  and  again  in  1784,  they 
renewed  their  attacks  by  sea,  when  they  were  more  successful, 
and  succeeded  in  reducing  the  city  and  galleys  in  the  harbour 
to  a complete  wreck,  but  failed  to  take  possession  of  the  place. 
In  i8r6  a British  squadron,  under  the  command  of  Lord 
Exmouth,  bombarded  the  town  and  fleet  in  the  harbour,  with 
such  destructive  effect  as  induced  the  dey  to  release  all  the 
Christian  slaves  then  in  the  interior,  and  to  subscribe  to  all  the 
terms  of  submission  and  restraint  which  the  victors  thought 
proper  to  dictate.  This,  however,  did  not  prevent  them  from 
resuming  their  piratical  practices  soon  afterwards;  and  in  1830 
the  French  undertook  an  expedition  against  Algiers,  which 
reached  the  port  on  the  13th  of  June,  and  on  the  following 
morning  the  troops  landed.  The  preparations  had  been  made 
on  a comprehensive  scale,  and  the  success  of  the  expedition 
was  complete.  On  the  5th  of  July  they  took  possession  of  the 
city  and  adjacent  territory,  which  have  ever  since  remained  in 
their  hands. 

The  history  of  French  colonization  in  Northern  Africa  has 
been  somewhat  chequered,  but  after  all  its  successes  and 
reverses,  and  the  frequent  wars  which  have  been  waged  with 
native  tribes  of  the  interior,  the  settlement  presents  to  the  view 
of  philanthropists  something  to  be  thankful  for,  as  compared 
with  the  state  of  things  under  the  former  semi-civilized  admini- 
stration. Piracy  has  disappeared  from  the  neighbouring  seas, 
and  a new  aspect  has  been  given  to  the  habits  and  manners 
of  the  people  on  shore.  Christian  churches,  Roman  Catholic 
though  they  be,  are  an  improvement  on  Mohammedan  mosques; 
and  the  fact  that  a French  colony  had  been  established 
at  Algiers  has  drawn  many  Europeans  and  Americans  to  the 
country  who  would  not  have  otherwise  taken  up  their  abode 
there,  and  the  whole  face  of  society  is  changed  for  the  better. 


Northern  Africa. 


H7 


The  population  is  necessarily  of  a very  mixed  character, 
consisting  of  persons  representing  various  nations,  of  different 
complexions  and  languages.  Nor  can  we  say  much  in  favour 
of  the  morals  of  the  people,  whether  professedly  Christians, 
Moslems,  or  Jews.  There  is  an  ample  field  for  Protestant 
missionary  effort,  as  we  are  not  aware  that  anything  has  been 
done  for  the  evangelization  of  the  inhabitants,  beyond  the  em- 
ployment of  a few  Lutheran  ministers  and  the  appointment  of 
two  or  three  agents  of  the  London  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel  among  the  Jews.  These  have  established  a few 
schools  for  the  instruction  of  the  rising  generation  of  the 
respective  classes  among  whom  they  labour;  but  from  all 
accounts  their  success  has  been  very  partial 

Morocco. 

Although  mentioned  last,  the  empire  of  Morocco  is  not  by 
any  means  the  least  of  the  Barbary  states.  It  is,  in  fact,  the 
largest,  and  in  some  respects  the  most  important  province  in 
Northern  Africa,  next  to  Egypt,  which  must  always  have  the 
pre-eminence.  The  geographical  position  and  boundaries  of 
Morocco  are  as  follows : — It  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the 
Atlantic,  on  the  north  by  the  Mediterranean,  on  the  east  by 
Algiers,  and  on  the  south  by  a portion  of  the  Atlas  range  of 
mountains,  which  separates  it  from  the  Sahara  or  Great  Desert. 
Morocco  has  thus  the  advantage  of  two  coasts — one  along  the 
Mediterranean  facing  the  north,  and  the  other  along  the 
Atlantic  looking  to  the  west.  On  both  of  these  there  are 
several  ports,  with  their  towns  and  villages,  varying  in  import- 
ance according  to  their  magnitude  and  position.  The  capital, 
which  bears  the  name  of  the  empire,  is  situated  in  the  interior, 
and,  both  in  its  dimensions  and  population,  it  surpasses  any 
other  town  or  city  in  the  land,  with  the  exception  of  Fez.  The 
length  of  Morocco  is  about  600  miles,  with  an  average  breadth 
of  260 ; and  the  population  is  estimated  at  5,000,000. 

The  soil  of  Morocco  differs  little  in  quality  from  that  of  the 
other  Barbary  states ; although  comparatively  sterile,  sandy. 


148 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


and  dry,  in  some  places,  it  is  fertile  and  productive  in  others. 
Fruits  and  vegetables,  such  as  are  produced  in  other  parts  of 
Northern  Africa,  are  plentiful,  and  the  pasture  lands  are 
excellent.  This  is  especially  the  case  with  those  which  are 
situated  along  the  slopes  of  the  Atlas,  the  lofty  range  of  moun- 
tains which  runs  parallel  with  the  empire  in  one  direction  and 
with  the  Atlantic  in  another.  In  these  grassy  uplands,  as  well 
as  in  the  fertile  pastures  on  the  plain,  multitudes  of  splendid 
horses,  horned  cattle,  sheep  and  goats  are  reared  and  fed,  to 
the  great  advantage  of  the  farmers  who  own  them,  and  of 
the  despotic  emperor,  who  claims  a considerable  share  in  the 
earnings  of  his  subjects.  In  addition  to  farming,  other  profitable 
industries  are  pursued  in  the  country  which  are  worthy  of 
a passing  notice.  The  principal  of  these  is  the  manufacture 
of  the  beautiful  leather  known  as  “ morocco.”  Some  of  the 
tanneries  are  very  extensive,  one  in  the  capital  employing  as 
many  as  1500  hands.  The  process  of  preparing  and  colouring 
this  leather  is  rude  and  simple  in  the  extreme  ; but  European 
skill  bas  never  yet  succeeded  in  producing  a perfect  imitation. 
Whether  the  superior  quality  of  Morocco  leather  is  owing  to 
the  peculiar  character  of  the  skins  of  the  sheep  and  goats  fed 
on  the  slopes  of  the  Atlas,  or  to  some  mystery  in  the  mode  of 
manufacture,  still  appears  to  be  uncertain.  Other  articles  for 
exportation  are  cattle,  almonds  of  very  fine  quality  from 
Suse,  dates  from  Tafilet,  ivory  and  gold-dust  from  Soudan, 
together  with  honey,  bees-wax,  and  ostrich  feathers.  For  these 
commodities  Morocco  receives  various  articles  of  European  mer- 
chandise and  colonial  produce.  This  traffic  is  carried  on  chiefly 
through  the  ports  of  Mogadore  on  the  Atlantic  and  Tangier  on 
the  Mediterranean,  the  latter  of  which  is  only  separated  from 
the  continent  of  Europe  by  the  narrow  Straits  of  Gibraltar. 

The  city  of  Morocco  is  situated  on  an  extensive  plain  in  the 
interior  of  the  empire,  ninety  miles  east  of  Mogadore  on  the 
Atlantic,  and  four  hundred  miles  south  of  Gibraltar.  It  is 
said  to  have  nothing  particularly  to  recommend  it  but  its  great 
extent,  and  tbe  royal  palace,  where  the  emperor  resides  and 


Northern  Africa.  T49 

rules  with  a despotism  which  has  no  parallel  in  Northern 
Africa.  The  city  is  surrounded  by  a strong  wall  eight  miles  in 
circumference.  It  has  eleven  gates,  one  of  which  is  superbly 
finished  in  the  Moorish  style  of  architecture.  The  mosques 
are  very  numerous,  and  some  of  them  are  magnificent.  The 
best  of  the  dwelling-houses  are  elegant  structures  enclosed  in 
gardens,  but  the  generality  of  them  serve  only  to  impress  the 
traveller  with  the  idea  of  a miserable  and  half-deserted  city, 
where  periodical  famines  are  of  frequent  occurrence.  Tangier 
and  Fez,  on  the  Mediterranean,  are  in  some  respects  more  im- 
portant places  than  the  city  of  Morocco.  Indeed,  the  town  and 
port  last  mentioned  was  once  the  capital  of  an  independent 
kingdom  of  the  same  name ; but  it  has  for  many  years  past 
been  incorporated  with  the  empire  of  Morocco.  From  this 
place,  as  well  as  from  Tangier,  immediately  opposite  Gibraltar, 
a considerable  trade  is  carried  on  with  the  neighbouring  ports 
of  Europe. 

The  population  of  Morocco  is  similar  in  its  character  to  that 
which  we  find  in  most  of  the  other  Barbary  states,  and  consists 
of  a mixture  of  Moors,  Arabs,  Jews,  and  negroes,  with  a few 
Europeans.  Formerly  a considerable  number  of  Christian 
slaves,  captured  by  the  pirates,  were  kept  in  various  parts  of 
the  empire,  and  treated  with  great  rigour.  But  all  this  is  now 
done  away ; and  there  is  little  fear  of  such  a state  of  things 
occurring  again,  with  the  French  at  Algiers  and  the  English  at 
Gibraltar.  The  Mohammedan  religion  prevails  here,  as  in 
other  pans  of  Northern  Africa,  and  it  is  characterised  by  the 
same  fatalism,  ignorance,  bigotry,  and  superstition  with  which 
it  is  distinguished  in  other  places.  Nor  are  we  aware  that  any 
systematic  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  Protestant  missionary 
societies  of  Europe  to  evangelize  the  inhabitants  of  Morocco,  " 
beyond  occasional  visits  of  converted  Jews  to  their  brethren, 
who  reside  in  considerable  numbers  in  some  of  the  towns, 
especially  at  the  capital,  where  they  occupy  a separate  village 
in  the  suburbs. 


Africa  : Past  and  Present, 


150 


CHAPTER  V. 


WESTERN  AFRICA, 


Geographical  Boundaries — Topogi-aphical  Aspect  and  Scenery— Mountains 
and  Rivers — Climate  and  Seasons — Soil  and  Productions — Native 
Tribes — Manners  and  Customs — Superstitious  Notions  and  Practices — 
Colonization  and  Missions — Sierra  Leone — The  Gambia — The  Gold 
Coast — Lagos — Liberia — Senegal — Fernando  Po — Angola. 

HE  geographical  boundaries  of  Western  Africa  cannot  be 


defined  with  precision ; but  a description  of  the  extent 
of  the  country  sufficiently  definite  for  our  purpose  may  be  easily 
given.  The  name  is  generally  applied  to  that  portion  of  the 
vast  continent  which  lies  between  the  Sahara  or  Great  Desert 
on  the  north,  the  equator  on  the  south,  the  Atlantic  on  the  west, 
and  the  regions  of  the  Upper  Niger  on  the  east ; embracing  the 
extensive  countries  bordering  upon  the  Senegal,  Gambia,  Sierra 
Leone,  Liberia,  Guinea,  and  the  islands  of  Fernando  Po  and 
Ascension.  Some  would  also  include  Angola  and  neighbouring 
territory  among  the  countries  which  fairly  belong  to  Western 
Africa,  although  situated  beyond  the  equator;  and  perhaps 
they  cannot  be  better  classified.  As  thus  employed,  the  term 
serves  to  distinguish  this  portion  of  the  great  continent  from 
Abyssinia,  Nubia,  Egypt,  and  the  Barbary  States  on  the  shores 
of  the  Mediterranean  in  Northern  Africa,  on  the  one  hand; 
and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  with  its  neighbouring  territories 
in  Southern  Africa,  on  the  other  ; whilst  it  leaves  Mozambique, 
Zanzibar,  and  other  portions  of  Eastern  Africa,  with  the  lake 
districts  in  the  interior,  and  other  countries  of  Central  Africa, 
recently  discovered,  to  come  under  their  appropriate  designa- 


tions. 


Western  Africa. 


151 


Topographical  Aspects  and  Scenery. 

\Vhen  we  consider  the  vast  extent  of  that  portion  of  the 
globe  now  under  review,  embracing,  as  it  does,  not  less  than 
1,000,000  square  miles,  we  are  not  surprised  to  find  that  the 
topographical  aspect  and  general  appearance  of  different 
localities  vary  considerably.  In  some  places  we  find  extensive 
arid  sandy  deserts,  where  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  a barren 
wilderness,  and  where  the  caravans  of  travelling  merchants,  in 
the  course  of  long  journeys,  suffer  much  from  various  causes, 
but  especially  from  want  of  water.  Again  we  meet  with  extensive 
tracts  of  fertile  land,  teeming  with  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation, 
and  abounding  with  extensive  forests  of  valuable  timber.  These 
more  favoured  districts  are  generally  situated  on  the  banks  of 
• the  numerous  rivers  or  tributary  creeks,  which  intersect  the 
country  in  various  directions.  They  sometimes  present  the 
appearance  of  a gently  undulating  surface,  reminding  one  of  an 
English  nobleman’s  park,  or  verdant  meadow,  with  here  and 
there  a beautiful  hill  or  rocky  mountain  of  considerable  aliitude. 

With  the  exception  of  Cape  Verd,  the  neighbourhood  of 
Sierra  Leone,  the  Caraeroons,  and  a few  other  localities  where 
inconsiderable  hills  and  promontories  present  themselves  to 
view,  the  western  coast  of  Africa  is  generally  level.  It  is  not 
till  we  proceed  a consideiable  distance  inland  that  we  meet 
with  elevations  worthy  of  the  name  of  mountains.  The  districts 
bordering  on  the  rivers,  creeks,  and  lagoons  are,  moreover, 
generally  low  and  swampy.  At  the  close  of  the  rainy  season, 
thousands  of  acres  are  laid  under  water,  and  present  to  the 
traveller  the  appearance  of  interminable  lakes  or  inland  seas. 
When  the  waters  retire,  on  the  termination  of  the  rains,  cultiva- 
tion commences,  and  the  country  assumes  a beautiful  verdant 
aspect,  contrasting  favourably  with  its  dry  and  scorched  appear- 
ance during  the  dry  season. 

Travelling  in  Western  Africa  is  frequently  attended  with 
difficulties  and  dangers  unknown  in  more  highly  favoured 
lands.  The  country  is  not  only  destitute  of  railroads,  those 


1 52  Africa  : Past  and  Pt  esent, 

wonderful  inventions  of  modern  times,  but  also  of  common 
carriage  roads ; for  no  wheel  vehicles  of  any  kind  are  used  by 
the  natives  in  any  place  we  have  visited,  or  of  which  we  have 
heard.  The  best  roads  are  mere  footpaths  across  the  deserts 
or  through  the  forests,  on  which  the  people  w'alk  in  single  file  ; 
each  man  carrying  in  his  hand  a gun  or  a cutlass,  to  defend 
himself  agamst  the  attacks  of  serpents  or  beasts  of  prey,  to 
which  he  is  constantly  exposed.  In  some  of  the  more  open 
districts  horses  are  occasionally  used  for  the  saddle ; but  they 
are  not  generally  employed  as  beasts  of  burden  or  for  long 
journeys.  Indeed,  on  some  parts  of  the  continent — as  Cape 
Coast,  Ashanti,  and  other  places — from  some  peculiarity  in  the 
herbage  or  in  the  climate,  horses  cannot  live.  As  often  as  they 
are  introduced  from  other  localities  they  decline  in  their  con- 
dition, and  ultimately  dwindle  and  die.  Camels  even  share 
the  same  fate,  although  horned  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats,  thrive 
pretty  well.  When  long  journeys  have  to  be  performed  over 
land,  Europeans  and  native  gentlemen  are  in  some  places 
carried  by  native  bearers  in  hammocks  or  chairs  suspended  on 
poles,  according  to  the  plan  adopted  in  India,  whilst  a party  of 
porters  follow  with  the  baggage  and  provisions  of  the  traveller 
and  his  attendants  poised  on  their  heads. 

The  majestic  rivers  of  Western  Africa,  which  wind  their  way 
in  various  directions  from  the  mountains  in  the  interior  to  the 
Atlantic,  supply  to  some  extent  the  w'ant  of  public  roads ; and 
appear  designed  by  Divine  Providence  to  answer  the  purpose 
of  highways  for  the  introduction  of  commerce  and  Christianity 
to  the  regions  beyond.  The  native  tribes  living  on  the  banks 
of  these  rivers,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  creeks,  lakes, 
and  lagoons,  employ  various  kinds  of  vessels  to  convey  them- 
selves and  their  merchandise  from  place  to.  place;  and  it  is 
almost  as  common  to  meet  w'ith  boats  and  canoes  on  some  of 
the  streams  as  you  sail  along,  as  it  is  to  meet  carriages  on 
the  public  road  in  England.  Some  of  the  canoes  used  by  the 
natives  are  large  and  handsome  vessels ; for,  although  the 
Imlk  is  made  of  the  trunk  of  a single  tree,  hollowed  out  with 


Western  Africa.  ■ 153 

great  skill,  it  is  frequently  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long,  and  six  or 
seven  feet  broad,  being  occasionally  raised  at  the  sides  with 
planks,  and  beautifully  ornamented  with  carved  work.  A canoe 
of  the  largest  class  is  generally  manned  by  twenty-four  negroes, 
who  sit  twelve  on  each  side,  on  the  edge  or  gunwale  of  the 
vessel,  and  propel  it  forward  at  a rapid  rate  with  paddles  about 
three  feet  long,  which  they  ply  with  remarkable  dexterity, 
beating  time  to  a tune  which  they  sing  with  much  spirit  to  some 
extemporaneous  song  made  to  suit  the  occasion.  Thus  the 
scene  is  quite  lively  and  animated  when  a fleet  of  these  native 
craft  are  sailing  in  company,  which  is  sometimes  the  case ; for 
they  make  the  surrounding  forest  ring  with  their  merry  songs  as 
they  dash  along  through  the  placid  water. 

Mountains  and  Rivers. 

Our  knowledge  of  the  mountains  of  Western  Africa  is  of  a 
very  general  and  partial  character,  owing  chiefly  to  the  difficulty 
of  exploring  this  portion  of  the  continent,  imposed  by  the 
unhealthiness  of  the  climate  and  other  obstacles.  It  has  been 
ascertained,  however,  that  all  the  great  ranges  of  mountains  are 
situated  some  distance  from  the  coast  in  the  interior.  One  of 
the  most  important  of  these  is  the  extensive  and  lofty  chain 
which  runs  across  the  eastern  portion  of  Senegambia,  usually 
called  the  Mountains  of  Kong.  The  direct  course  of  this 
range  has  never  been  correctly  ascertained,  but  it  appears  to 
stretch  from  east  to  west,  almost  across  the  entire  continent, 
till  it  connects  itself  with  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  on  the 
opposite  side  of  Africa. 

The  principal  rivers  of  Western  Africa  are  the  Niger,  Congo, 
Senegal,  Gambia,  Sierra  Leone,  Volta,  Mesurado,  Bonny, 
Calabar,  Nunez,  Pongas,  and  Rio  Grande.  Most  of  these 
, majestic  streams  are  supposed  to  take  their  rise  in  the  ranges 
of  mountains  just  mentioned,  some  of  which  run  nearly  parallel 
with  the  coast ; and,  after  watering  extensive  and  fertile  regions, 
empty  themselves  at  various  points  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
An  exception  must,  however,  be  made  in  the  case  of  the  Congo, 


154  Afnca:  Past  and  Present, 

which  has  been  proved  by  the  recent  explorations  of  Cameron 
and  Stanley  to  have  its  source  in  the  distant  lake  regions  of 
Central  Africa,  and  after  winding  its  way  through  thousands 
of  miles  of  fertile  land,  occasionally  interrupted  by  rocky 
cataracts,  to  pour  its  mighty  flood  of  water  into  the  sea  to 
the  south  of  Angola.  This  river,  being  to  a great  extent 
navigable,  will  henceforth  attract  more  attention  than  it  has 
hitherto  received,  and  will  probably  play  an  important  part 
in  the  future  history  of  the  continent,  as  one  of  the  grand 
highways  leading  to  the  distant  interior. 

The  majestic  Niger  was  formerly  regarded  as  identical  with 
the  Senegal  or  the  Gambia ; but  it  was  proved  by  the  explo- 
rations of  Mungo  Park  and  the  intrepid  Landers  to  take 
its  rise  amid  the  mountains  already  mentioned,  and,  after 
flowing  in  a winding  course  about  2000  miles  through  the 
northern  portion  of  Central  Africa,  to  discharge  its  mighty 
volume  of  water  by  a number  of  large  estuaries  into  the  Bight 
of  Benin.  These  real  mouths  of  the  Niger  were  in  former 
times  believed  to  be  so  many  separate  rivers,  and  were  known 
as  the  Brass  river,  the  Nun  river,  the  Old  Calabar,  the  New 
Calabar,  etc.  But  now  it  is  evident  that  vessels  may  ascend 
by  any  one  of  them  to  the  very  heart  of  Africa ; and,  at  the 
proper  season  of  the  year,  arrive  at  Egga,  Rabba,  Sego,  or 
Timbuctu,  on  the  banks  of  the  Niger.  This  majestic  stream 
has  been  already  used  to  some  extent  for  inland  navigation  in 
the  interests  of  commerce  and  civilization,  and  it  will  no  doubt 
be  still  more  so  in  time  to  come,  as  the  Christian  people  of 
Europe  and  America  become  more  thoroughly  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  Africa. 

The  Senegal  is  a large  and  important  river,  and  is  deserving 
of  more  attention  than  it  has  yet  received  from  European 
adventurers.  It  takes  its  rise  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
Kong  mountains,  and  flows  westward  for  several  hundreds  of 
miles,  till  it  comes  within  about  two  leagues  of  the  Atlantic, 
when  it  takes  a sudden  bend  southwards,  and,  after  running 
for  about  seventy-five  miles  nearly  parallel  with  the  coast. 


Western  Africa.  155 

empties  itself  into  the  sea  a few  miles  north-east  of  Cape  Verd. 
It  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  light  draught  throughout  most  of 
its  course ; but  the  entrance  is  rendered  somewhat  difficult  and 
dangerous  to  vessels  of  large  draught  by  a bar  of  sand  which 
runs  directly  across  its  mouth, — an  impediment  which  might 
probably  be  removed  by  skilful  engineering. 

The  river  Gambia  has  its  source  in  the  same  range  of  moun- 
tains which  gives  rise  to  the  Niger  and  the  Senegal ; and,  both 
from  its  magnitude  and  the  facilities  which  it  affords  for  inland 
navigation,  it  may  be  fairly  classed  with  these  noble  streams. 
The  course  of  the  Gambia,  from  its  source  downward,  is  some- 
what serpentine ; but  it  flows  in  the  main  westward  for  nearly 
1000  miles,  through  a fertile  country,  and  empties  itself  into 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  a few  miles  south  of  Cape  Verd,  in  latitude 
13°  30'  north,  and  longitude  15°  west  It  is  about  twelve  miles 
wide  at  its  mouth  •,  but  on  proceeding  upwards  we  soon  find 
that  it  contracts  to  about  three  miles.  Thence  it  continues  to 
vary  from  three  miles  to  one  mile  in  width  for  some  distance, 
occasionally  expanding  to  greater  dimensions — presenting  to 
the  view  of  the  traveller  in  some  places,  especially  after  the 
rainy  season,  the  appearance  of  a vast  inland  sea.  The  river 
is  navigable  for  vessels  of  fifty  or  sixty  tons  burden  for  upwards 
of  400  miles,  at  which  point  further  progress  is  interrupted  by 
a series  of  rapids,  known  as  the  Falls  of  Barraconda.  In  the 
dry  season  the  influence  of  the  tide  is  felt  to  a distance  of  300 
miles  from  the  sea ; and  the  larger  vessels  of  the  European 
merchants  avail  themselves  of  this  circumstance  in  navigating 
the  stream,  as  the  breeze  is  frequently  rather  feeble,  being 
impeded  by  the  surrounding  forests. 

Having  sailed  on  the  majestic  Gambia  and  its  tributaries 
thousands  of  miles  in  various  directions,  we  may  here  add  a 
few  remarks  as  to  the  appearance  of  the  country  on  its 
banks.  On  ascending  an  eminence,  in  the  upper  parts  of  the 
river,  the  prospect  presented  to  the  view  is  frequently  of  a 
charming  character.  On  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left  exten- 
sive forests  of  the  richest  foliage  may  be  seen  waving  in  the 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


156 

wind,  and  here  and  there  a native  town  with  its  clearings  of 
cultivated  ground  ; whilst,  on  looking  towards  the  sea,  the 
beautiful  Gambia  is  seen  like  a silver  thread  of  light,  glittering 
in  the  sun  as  it  winds  its  course  towards  the  mighty  ocean. 
When  sailing  on  the  river  itself  the  scenery  is  also  in  many 
places  very  interesting.  The  margin  of  the  stream  is  for  more 
than  a hundred  miles  lined  with  dense  masses  of  the  mangrove 
tree — a beautiful  evergreen,  with  shining  leaves  of  deepest 
verdure,  not  unlike  the  laurel  of  our  own  country.  These  man- 
groves flourish  only  where  the  ground  is  low  and  swampy,  and 
saturated  with  salt  water  at  the  flow  of  each  successive  tide; 
but  as  every  tree  sends  down  a number  of  branches,  each  of 
which  in  time  becomes  the  stem  of  a tree,  the  whole  region 
soon  becomes  an  impenetrable  mass  of  jungle.  On  ascending 
further  into  the  interior,  the  banks  of  the  river  are  found  to  be 
more  elevated,  and  the  ground  drier,  and  frequently  covered 
with  forest  trees  of  gigantic  stature,  and  supplying  valuable 
timber.  Throughout  its  entire  length  the  Gambia  is  studded 
with  beautiful  islands,  some  of  which  will  be  noticed  in  another 
place. 

The  other  rivers  of  Western  Africa  are  of  less  magnitude  and 
importance  than  those  we  have  briefly  described.  They  never- 
theless prove  very  useful,  in  the  absence  of  public  roads,  in 
facilitating  communication  between  different  and  distant  places 
on  their  banks,  by  means  of  the  native  canoes,  which  may  be 
seen  in  great  numbers  skimming  their  placid  waters  in  various 
directions.  Although  differing  in  size  and  situation,  they 
possess  so  many  features  in  common,  that  it  appears  unneces- 
sary to  occupy  space  by  a minute  description  of  each  stream, 
creek,  and  lagoon,  to  which  we  have  alluded,  and  which  we 
have  partially  explored,  when  so  many  other  topics  claim  our 
attention. 


Climate  and  Seasons, 

The  seasons  of  the  year  and  the  climate  of  Western  Africa 
possess  many  peculiarities,  a brief  notice  of  which  may  serve  to 


Western  Africa, 


157 


throw  some  light  upon  an  interesting  subject,  and  to  explain  in 
part  why  a residence  in  the  country  is  generally  so  detrimental 
to  the  health  of  Europeans,  and  why  the  natives  themselves 
are  so  frequently  prostrated  with  fever.  The  seasons  are 
divided,  not  into  summer  and  winter,  but  into  dry  and  rainy, 
which  are  marked  by  a distinctness  not  known  in  other  parts 
of  the  world.  With  a slight  variation  on  different  parts  of  the 
coast,  the  dry  season  commences  in  the  month  of  September, 
and  continues  till  May  following.  During  these  nine  months 
not  a shower  of  rain  is  seen  to  fall,  and  the  ground  becomes 
parched  and  dry  to  an  extent  almost  incredible  to  those  who 
have  not  resided  within  the  tropics  ; but  during  the  remaining 
three  months  of  the  year  the  rain  descends  in  torrents,  day  and 
night,  with  scarcely  any  intermission.  The  principal  rivers 
now  overflow  their  banks,  like  the  Nile  in  Egypt,  and  the  low 
lands  are  inundated  for  scores  of  miles.  When  the  rains  in  the 
interior  cease,  the  waters  gradually  subside  into  their  usual 
channels  ; but  they  leave  large  tracts  of  country,  naturally  low 
and  swampy,  still  submerged,  and  presenting  to  the  view  a 
succession  of  shallow  lakes.  The  sun  now  pours  his  fiery  rays 
on  these  extensive  marshes,  the  waters  of  which  soon  become 
stagnant  and  pestilential  as  evaporation  takes  place ; and, 
charged  as  they  are  with  vast  accumulations  of  putrid  animal 
and  vegetable  matter,  they  emit  effluvia  almost  unbearable. 
The  fatal  march  miasma,  thus  generated,  is  borne  on  the  wings 
of  the  wind  over  the  country  at  large,  and  frequently  carries 
fever,  desolation,  and  death  to  the  habitations  of  thousands. 
After  many  years’  experience  in  other  tropical  countries,  we 
regard  this  peculiarity  in  the  climate  of  Western  Africa  as  the 
real  cause  of  its  pre-eminent  unhealihiness. 

The  rainy  season  is  ushered  in  by  the  appearance  of  sheet 
lightning,  which  is  seen  flickering  on  the  horizon,  at  short 
intervals,  for  several  successive  nights,  and  which  sometimes 
illuminates  the  whole  heavens.  Then  follow  a succession  of 
tornadoes.  These  are  violent  thunderstorms,  accompanied  by 
circumstances  of  an  alarming  character.  The  sky,  which  has 


158  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

so  long  been  bright  and  cloudless,  begins  to  assume  a sombre, 
leaden  aspect.  Dense  masses  of  clouds  are  seen  to  gather  in 
the  east,  till  the  whole  heavens  are  covered  as  with  a sable 
mantle.  Now  the  lightning  begins  to  flash  with  fearful 
vividness,  and  the  thunder  roars  in  awful  peals,  resembling 
the  crashing  noise  produced  by  the  simultaneous  discharge  of 
numerous  fields  of  artillery.  These  fearful  manifestations  are 
followed  by  the  sudden  rushing  forth  of  the  wind,  like  a 
prisoner  bursting  loose  from  his  chains.  Then  the  rain  pours 
down  in  torrents,  as  if  the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened ; 
and  the  elements  of  nature,  including  earth,  sky,  and  sea, 
appear  mingled  in  fearful  conflict ! As  the  tornado  is  seen  to 
approach,  it  is  necessary  to  secure  windows  and  doors  and 
everything  about  the  house  likely  to  be  affected  by  it ; but, 
notwithstanding  every  precaution,  considerable  damage  is  fre- 
quently done  by  the  tempest,  in  the  unroofing  of  houses,  the 
uprooting  of  trees,  and  the  destruction  of  fences,  etc.  But  the 
vessels  in  the  rivers  and  on  the  sea  fare  still  worse  on  these 
occasions,  being  sometimes  capsized  by  the  suddenness  with 
which  the  gale  sets  in,  before  the  men  on  board  have  time  to 
shorten  sail  or  prepare  for  the  emergency. 

The  heat  is  frequently  intense  during  the  dry  season, 
the  thermometer  sometimes  rising  as  high  as  95°  to  105° 
in  the  shade.  For  several  months  in  the  year,  however,  the 
heat  on  the  coast  is  tempered  by  a gentle  and  refreshing  sea- 
breeze,  which  springs  up  every  morning  soon  after  sunrise,  and 
blows  with  tolerable  regularity  during  most  of  the  day.  At  the 
opposite  season,  when  the  land-breeze  prevails  for  a few  weeks, 
and  the  harmattan  winds  blow  across  the  sandy  deserts  in  the 
interior,  the  heat  is  very  oppressive,  reminding  one  of  the  hot 
air  which  proceeds  from  the  mouth  of  a furnace.  This  we 
have  found  so  intense  as  to  produce  extreme  dryness  of  the 
skin,  with  parched  lips  and  burning  thirst.  We  have  also  known 
it  to  damage  sundry  articles  of  furniture  in  the  house,  cracking 
the  glass  and  china  ware  on  the  sideboard,  etc.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  rainy  season  is  marked  by  a state  of  the  atmosphere 


Western  Africa.  159 

the  very  reverse  of  what  we  have  described.  The  ground 
being  everywhere  completely  saturated,  and  in  some  places 
inundated,  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun,  which  occasionally  burst 
through  the  clouds  as  the  rains  begin  to  subside,  rapidly 
accelerate  the  process  of  evaporation,  and  the  exhalations  which 
arise  are  so  dense  that  a thick  mist  is  frequently  seen  to  prevail, 
and  the  air  is  rendered  peculiarly  humid.  On  such  occasions 
we  have  seen  the  walls  of  the  interior  of  the  house  steaming 
with  water,  from  the  condensation  of  the  vapours  which  pre- 
vailed; and  w’e  have  sometimes  been  obliged  to  light  a fire 
in  our  bedroom,  even  when  the  weather  was  hot  and  sultry, 
simply  to  rarefy  the  air  and  dispel  the  damp,  before  we  could 
retire  to  rest  with  safety. 

The  year  in  Western  Africa  is  further  divided  by  the  natives 
into  lunar  months,  or  “ moons,”  as  they  term  them ; and  the 
time  of  the  day  is  noted  by  the  altitude  of  the  sun  in  the 
heavens,  clocks  and  watches  being  out  of  the  question.  The 
day  varies  only  about  an  hour  in  length  during  the  whole  year, 
the  country  being  situated  chiefly  within  the  tropics.  The 
twilight  is  of  short  duration ; for  no  sooner  does  the  sun 
descend  beneath  the  western  horizon,  than  night  begins  to 
spread  her  sable  mantle  over  the  earth.  This  is  very  pleasant 
in  the  dry  season,  especially  when  it  is  moonlight ; for  now  the 
air  is  comparatively  cool,  and  all  nature  is  tranquil.  But  in 
the  wet  season  the  case  is  very  different.  At  this  period  of 
the  year,  no  sooner  have  the  last  rays  of  light  departed,  than 
the  reptile  and  insect  tribes  begin  their  nightly  song.  The 
discordant  noise  produced  by  the  croaking  of  frogs,  the  chirping 
of  crickets,  cockroaches  and  beetles,  the  flapping  and  screaming 
of  bats,  and  the  buzzing  of  myriads  of  mosquitoes,  is  also 
deafening.  Multitudes  of  these  noxious  creatures  are  attracted 
into  the  dwelling-houses  by  the  lights,  and  sometimes  cover  the 
walls  of  the  room  in  which  you  are  sitting,  even  extinguishing 
the  candles  or  lamps  by  crowding  around  them,  regardless  ot 
the  fatal  consequences.  It  is  at  this  season  of  the  year  that 
the  mosquitoes  especially  are  so  troublesome;  for  notwith- 


i6o 


Africa : Past  a fid  Present. 


standing  the  precaution  of  providing  net  curtains  to  the  beds, 
they  still  penetrate,  and  by  their  perpetual  buzzing  and  poisonous 
stings  they  frequently  deprive  one  of  sleep  for  several  nights  in 
succession. 

It  is  towards  the  close  of  the  annual  rains,  when  the  ex- 
halations from  the  swampy  ground  are  so  sensibly  felt,  that 
the  sickly  season  is  considered  to  commence.  Now  the  natives 
themselves  are  frequently  attacked  with  sickness ; and  among 
the  European  residents  the  “ old  hands  ” expect  the  usual 
attacks  of  ague  and  fever,  whilst  the  “ new  comers  ” have  to 
pass  through  their  “ seasoning.”  This  process  is,  undoubtedly, 
more  painful  and  hazardous  than  the  ordinary  attacks  of  fever 
which  may  be  expected  to  follow  at  intervals,  and  from  which 
none  need  hope  to  escape.  The  course  of  the  disease  is  some- 
what as  follows : — At  first  the  patient  is  attacked  with  severe 
headache,  followed  by  a fit  of  shivering,  which  frequently 
continues  for  several  hours,  notwithstanding  the  additional 
covering  which  may  be  applied  to  his  person.  Then  comes  the 
hot  stage,  during  which  the  skin  is  dry  and  burning,  whilst  the 
action  of  the  pulse  is  quick  and  violent.  The  actual  heat  of 
the  body,  at  this  stage  of  the  disease,  is  almost  incredible — a 
person  in  health  hardly  being  able  to  bear  his  hand  in  contact 
with  the  forehead  of  the  sufferer.  The  time  which  this  burning 
fit  continues  varies  in  different  persons,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  attack  or  the  constitution  of  the  patient.  If  every- 
thing proceed  favourably,  it  may  be  expected  to  terminate  in 
the  course  of  two  or  three  days ; but  if  it  continue  longer 
danger  may  be  apprehended,  as  few  have  survived  the  fifth 
day  without  any  intermission.  When  the  fever  breaks,  the  dry 
burning  stage  is  followed  by  copious  perspiration,  which  marks 
the  passing  of  the  dangerous  crisis,  and  a speedy  recovery  is 
anticipated.  The  fever,  however,  frequently  assumes  the  inter- 
mittent form,  and  returns  every  alternate  day,  with  a regularity 
which  is  surprising  ; but  these  periodical  attacks  are  of  trifling 
consequence,  and  of  short  duration  compared  with  the  “ sea- 
soning,” the  patient  being  frequently  able  to  move  about  on  the 


Western  Africa.  1 6 1 

day  which  intervenes  between  them,  which  he  calls  his  “ good 
day.” 

As  all  West  African  fevers  are  more  or  less  of  the  bilious 
type,  the  mode  of  treatment  has  generally  been  simple  and 
nearly  uniform.  Calomel,  in  combination  with  rhubarb  or 
jalap,  is  freely  administered  immediately  on  a person  being 
attacked,  and  Dover's  powder  has  been  found  useful  in  aiding 
perspiration.  During  the  intermission,  the  sulphate  of  quinine 
has  been  resorted  to  as  an  efficacious  remedy  against  the  return 
of  fever,  in  preference  to  Peruvian  bark,  formerly  employed ; 
and  it  scarcely  ever  fails  if  a sufficient  quantity,  say  twenty-five 
grains,  can  only  be  received  into  the  system  in  the  interim  by 
taking  it  in  small  doses  every  two  or  three  hours.  As  soon  as 
the  patient  becomes  convalescent,  careful  nursing  and  constant 
attention  to  diet  are  of  the  greatest  possible  importance. 

There  is  nothing  very  alarming  in  the  common  country  fever, 
to  a person  of  good  sound  constitution  and  of  temperate  habits, 
but  we  are  occasionally  visited  on  some  parts  of  the  coast  with 
an  epidemic  in  the  form  of  “yellow  fever,”  which  is  a more 
serious  affair.  From  continued  observation  it  has  been  found 
that  this  fearful  scourge  visits  the  western  coast  of  Africa  about 
every  six  or  seven  years.  It  is  impossible  to  say  through  what 
medium  it  comes : whether  by  ships  from  the  West  Indies,  or 
through  the  air  like  the  mysterious  cholera,  none  can  tell. 
When  this  extraordinary  epidemical  disease  makes  its  appear- 
ance considerable  alarm  is  excited,  inasmuch  as  it  is  infectious 
and  contagious  in  a manner  quite  different  from  the  annual 
remittent  and  intermittent  fevers  already  described.  It  has, 
moreover,  proved  much  more  fatal  than  any  other  disease 
known  on  the  coast — spreading  with  fearful  rapidity,  and 
sometimes  carrying  off  one-half  of  a whole  community.  The 
“ yellow  fever  ” is  easily  distinguished  from  fevers  of  the 
common  bilious  type,  not  only  by  the  yellow  or  jaundice-like 
complexion  which  it  gives  to  the  sufferer,  but  especially  by 
the  aggravated  form  of  the  attack,  and  by  the  circumstance 
that  it  is  invariably  attended  with  the  “black  vomit,”  which 


II 


i62 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


generally  occurs  just  before  the  patient  expires-  It  is  worthy 
of  remark,  however,  that  this  awful  pestilence  is  unknown  in 
the  interior  of  the  country ; and  we  believe  it  has  never  yet 
made  its  appearance  so  far  east  as  the  coast  of  Guinea. 

The  writer  is  aware  that  very  different  and  conflicting 
accounts  have  been  given  from  time  to  time  by  different 
persons  as  to  the  real  character  of  the  climate  of  Western 
Africa ; and  -he  is  anxious  to  present  to  the  reader  a correct 
and  impartial  view  of  the  subject,  without  going  to  either  of 
the  extremes  into  which  he  conceives  some  writers  have  been 
betrayed.  It  has  sometimes  occurred  that  a naval  or  military 
officer  has  visited  the  coast  in  the  middle  of  the  dry  season, 
when  everything  wore  the  appearance  of  health  and  activity ; 
and  being  charmed  with  the  brilliancy  of  the  atmosphere  and 
the  beauty  of  the  scenery,  he  has  returned  to  England  after  a 
brief  sojourn,  and  published  an  account  of  his  travels,  eulogising 
the  country  in  most  unqualified  terms,  and  scouting  the  idea 
of  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate,  even  for  Europeans.  Had 
such  a transient  visitor  remained  on  the  coast  all  the  year 
round,  his  views  would  no  doubt  have  been  considerably 
modified.  On  the  other  hand,  a traveller  visits  the  coast  at 
the  most  unhealthy  season  of  the  year,  and  is  appalled  at  the 
scenes  of  sickness  and  death  which  he  beholds.  He  narrowly 
escapes  with  his  life,  and  brings  an  evil  report  of  the  land, 
declaring  that  the  country  is  not  fit  for  Europeans  to  live  in, 
and  that  all  the  missions  and  the  British  settlements  themselves 
ought  to  be  at  once  and  for  ever  abandoned.  Henceforth  the 
country  is  called  “the  white  man’s  grave,”  and  is  regarded 
with  feelings  of  dread  by  all  who  are  appointed  to  sojourn 
there  as  missionaries,  merchants,  or  government  officers.  After 
many  years  of  personal  experience  in  this  and  other  tropical 
countries,  and  after  having  had  the  African  fever  more  than  a 
hundred  times,  I am  of  opinion  that,  whilst  the  climate  of 
Western  Africa  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  worst  in  the  world, 
it  is  not  so  bad  as  to  render  hopeless  our  best  efforts  to 
neutralize  in  some  degree  its  baneful  influence,  and  to  grapple 


Western  Africa.  1 63 

successfully  with  the  difficulties  with  which  we  have  to  contend 
in  our  endeavours  to  extend  the  blessings  of  Christian  civilization 
to  this  interesting  but  long  neglected  country. 

The  following  facts  and  figures  are  respectfully  submitted,  as 
illustrative  of  the  true  character  of  the  climate  of  Western  Africa 
so  far  as  European  residents  are  concerned.  In  the  course  of 
twenty  years — from  1804  to  1824 — the  Church  Missionary 
Society  sent  out  to  Sierra  Leone  eighty  five  missionaries,  and 
during  this  period  fifty-four  died  and  fourteen  returned  to 
England  with  shattered  health.  In  1835  there  remained  on  the 
station  only  three  missionaries  and  two  catechists,  out  of  109 
labourers  who  had  been  sent  out  during  the  preceding  thirty 
years.  The  experience  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  is 
not  very  dissimilar.  During  twenty  years — from  1824  to  1844 
— this  institution  sent  out  to  Sierra  Leone,  Cape  Coast,  and 
the  Gambia,  eighty- six  labourers,  and  during  this  period  forty-two 
were  removed  by  death,  whilst  several  were  compelled  to 
return  home  on  account  of  the  failure  of  their  health.  Thus 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  loss  sustained  by  each  of  these  great 
societies  in  a course  of  years  was  over  50  per  cent,  of  deaths, 
or  rather  more  than  one-half  of  the  whole  of  the  agents  sent 
out.  In  1823,  from  January  to  June,  during  a very  sickly 
season,  seventy-seven  Europeans  died  at  Sierra  Leone,  very 
few  white  men  being  left  alive  in  the  colony;  and  in  the  same 
settlement  four  governors  died  in  seven  years,  from  1825  to 
1832. 

If  we  were  in  a position  to  give  complete  statistics  of  the 
army  and  navy  connected  with  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  we 
have  reason  to  fear  that  the  result  would  be  still  more 
appalling.  In  those  which  have  come  under  our  notice  we 
find  the  following  items  of  intelligence : in  1824,  283  European 
troops  were  sent  to  Western  Africa,  making  the  total  number 
on  the  coast  1193;  of  these  621  died  during  the  year.  We 
have  known  a large  number  of  raw  recruits  carried  off  by  fever 
soon  after  their  arrival  on  the  coast;  and  in  the  most  favourable 
years  the  loss  by  death  in  the  regiments  composed  of  British 


1 64  Africa  : Fad  and  Present. 

soldiers  has  seldom  been  less  than  one-half  the  whole  number, 
whilst  in  those  composed  of  native  troops  the  deaths  have  only 
averaged  about  one  in  twenty-six.  Observing  this  difference, 
the  military  authorities  have  adopted  the  plan  of  late  years  of 
training  and  employing  native  troops  under  the  command  of 
European  officers  more  generally  than  formerly,  so  that  very 
few  white  men  as  private  soldiers  are  now  found  on  the  coast 
of  Africa.  Sailors  on  board  Her  Majesty’s  ships  of  war 
stationed  on  the  coast  are  seldom  allowed  to  go  on  shore, 
and  great  attention  is  paid  to  their  health  and  comfort,  so 
that  they  suffer  comparatively  little  from  the  climate.  It  is 
otherwise,  however,  with  British  seamen  in  the  mercantile 
service,  on  board  vessels  visiting  the  coast.  They  are  frequently 
employed  in  hard  labour,  loading  or  unloading  the  ship,  during 
the  day ; and  at  night  they  are  often  unable  to  sleep,  from  the 
intense  heat  and  the  attacks  of  the  mosquitoes.  Being  thus 
worn  out  for  want  of  rest,  they  soon  become  a prey  to  fever, 
and  many  have  sunk  under  its  influence  to  rise  no  more.  We 
have  known  a whole  ship’s  crew  carried  off  in  the  course  of  a 
few  days.  When  inquiry  was  made  on  one  occasion  when  a 
certain  vessel  would  sail  for  England,  that  letters  might  be 
sent  by  her,  the  answer  was,  “The  Ann  Grant  has  been  laden 
and  ready  for  sea  for  some  time,  but  she  cannot  come  down 
the  river,  all  hands  on  board  having  died  of  fever  ! ” 

But  the  question  has  sometimes  been  asked,  “ Has  not  the 
climate  of  Western  Africa  improved  of  late  years  ? ” After 
attentive  observation  and  much  thought  upon  the  subject,  the 
writer  is  of  opinion  that  a decided  improvement  has  taken  place, 
the  mortality  among  European  residents  being  much  less  in 
proportion  to  the  number  than  formerly.  The  cause  of  this 
improvement  is  to  be  found,  we  think,  not  in  any  actual  change 
in  the  seasons,  but  to  a considerable  extent  in  a purer  state  of 
the  atmosphere,  occasioned  by  the  more  thorough  clearing  and 
training  of  the  ground  in  the  neighbourhood  of  some  of  the 
settlements.  It  must  also  be  noted  that  African  fevers  are 
now  better  understood  than  formerly,  and  consequently  treated 


Western  Africa,  165 

with  greater  skill  and  more  general  success.  As  experience 
and  observation  are  further  extended  from  time  to  time,  we 
may  hope  that  still  greater  improvement  will  be  realized,  till 
a sojourn  in  Western  Africa  will  no  longer  be  regarded  with 
serious  apprehension  as  to  the  life  or  health  of  those  who 
may  be  called  to  reside  there.  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that 
this  unfavourable  account  of  the  climate  applies  to  the  coast 
almost  exclusively,  the  interior  having  been  proved  to  be  much 
more  healthy. 

Soil  and  Productions. 

With  the  exception  of  the  sandy  deserts  and  rocky  moun- 
tains already  referred  to,  and  which  occupy  a comparatively 
small  portion  of  this  section  of  the  vast  continent,  the  soil  of 
Western  Africa  is  generally  rich  and  fertile.  At  the  close  of 
the  rainy  season,  vegetation  of  every  description  springs  up 
with  amazing  rapidity  ; and  with  the  application  of  ordinary 
skill  and  industry,  the  land  would  be  remarkably  productive. 
Perhaps  we  should  not  greatly  err,  if  we  were  to  assert  that  no 
country  in  the  world  surpasses  this  in  the  abundance  of  its 
natural  resources.  The  vast  alluvial  plains  on  the  banks  of 
the  numerous  rivers  and  creeks  near  the  coast  appear  well 
adapted  for  the  cultivation  of  hemp,  indigo,  cotton,  coffee, 
ginger,  arrowroot,  sugar,  rice,  Indian  corn,  yams,  and  other 
articles  peculiar  to  the  tropics ; whilst  the  uplands,  in  the 
interior  districts,  produce  the  finest  specimens  of  timber,  from 
mahogany  to  the  celebrated  camwood.  There  also  may  be 
seen  the  cocoa-nut,  the  palm  and  the  banana,  with  their  lofty 
plumes  gracefully  waving  in  the  breeze.  The  palm  tree  is  a 
great  favourite  with  the  natives,  inasmuch  as  it  yields  the 
refreshing  wine  of  which  they  are  so  passionately  fond.  They 
also  extract  from  the  pulp  of  the  nut  the  palm  oil,  which  has 
of  late  years  become  a prime  article  of  export,  upwards  of 
20,000  tons  having  been  sent  to  England  in  one  year.  The 
value  of  the  palm  oil  now  exported  to  England  amounts  to 
upwards  of  ;^i,5oo,ooo  per  annum. 


i66 


Africa  : Past  and  Present, 


Large  quantities  of  gum-arabic  are  also  collected  annually  in 
the  country  which  lies  between  the  Senegal  and  the  Gambia, 
and  on  the  borders  of  the  Great  Desert.  This  valuable  article 
is  found  exuding  from  the  branches  of  a small  shrub,  not  larger 
than  a gooseberry-bush,  and  is  gathered  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year  for  exportation  to  Europe.  The  natives  are  also  in 
the  habit  of  ranging  the  forests  in  search  of  bees’  nests,  which 
they  take,  not  so  much  for  the  sake  of  the  honey  as  for  the 
wax,  which  has  become  an  important  article  of  barter  with  the 
merchants  on  the  coast,  who  collect  it  for  exportation.  Another 
valuable  article  of  merchandise  is  ivory,  which  is  brought  down 
from  the  interior  in  considerable  quantities,  and  exchanged  by 
the  natives  for  various  articles  of  British  manufacture. 

In  directing  attention  to  the  native  productions  and  natural 
resources  of  Western  Africa,  we  must  not  omit  to  advert  to  the 
probable  mineral  wealth  of  the  country.  Some  districts  appear 
to  be  literally  impregnated  with  the  precious  metal;  and  we 
have  seen  in  the  possession  of  one  person  several  pounds  weight 
of  pure  gold,  collected  and  prepared  for  the  British  market. 
The  hills  on  the  banks  of  the  upper  Gambia,  and  in  many 
other  localities,  moreover,  contain  iron  and  copper  ores,  w^hich 
are  smelted  and  worked  by  the  natives  into  various  useful  and 
ornamental  articles.  We  are  aware  that,  hitherto,  these  mineral 
productions  have  been  obtained  only  in  small  quantities,  and 
by  a slow  and  laborious  process;  the  gold  being  generally 
collected  in  single  grains,  after  washing  the  sand  in  the  beds 
of  periodical  rivers  ; but  by  the  application  of  improved  modes 
of  mining,  crushing,  and  smelting  the  ore,  it  is  probable  that 
important  results  would  be  realized. 

Notwithstanding  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  the  numerous 
advantages  possessed  by  the  country,  very  little  has,  as  yet, 
been  done  towards  developing  its  vast  resources.  The  land  to 
a considerable  extent  lies  waste,  only  very  small  portions  having 
been  brought  under  cultivation,  and  that  of  a very  rude  and 
primitive  character.  The  immediate  wants  of  the  natives,  in 
their  present  uncivilized  state,  are  few  and  easily  supplied,  and 


Western  Africa.  167 

they  literally  “take  no  thought  for  the  morrow.”  In  the  vicinity 
of  each  town  or  village  may  be  seen  the  gardens  and  fields 
of  the  people,  sometimes  laid  out  with  a degree  of  neatness, 
regularity,  and  taste  truly  commendable,  but  always  on  a very 
limited  scale,  considering  the  abundance  of  land  available  for 
cultivation.  The  most  common  articles  of  produce,  and  those 
on  which  the  natives  chiefly  subsist,  are  yams,  rice,  manioc, 
plantains,  pumpkins,  onions,  cucumbers,  ocroes,  beans,  and 
ground-nuts,  with  Indian  and  Guinea  corn,  and  a few  other 
vegetables  of  minor  consequence.  Fruit  is  also  abundant  and 
of  great  variety  in  most  places, — such  as  the  orange,  banana, 
sour-sop,  guava,  pineapple,  papwa,  and  mango-plums.  Most 
of  these  fruits,  especially  the  guava  and  pineapple,  grow  wild  in 
the  woods  of  Sierra  Leone  and  on  some  other  parts  of  the  coast 

The  native  mode  of  cultivation  is  somewhat  peculiar,  and 
deserves  a passing  notice  in  this  connection.  The  low  sw'ampy 
land  on  the  banks  of  the  Gambia  and  other  similar  rivers  is 
well  adapted  for  the  cultivation  of  rice,  which  is  grown  in  large 
quantities  both  for  home  consumption  and  for  export  The 
ground  is  prepared  by  the  women  and  slaves,  before  the  water 
has  retired  into  its  usual  channel  after  the  annual  rains.  When 
engaged  in  this  branch  of  native  agriculture,  the  sable  w^orkers 
may  be  seen  wading  up  to  their  knees  in  water  and  mud, 
tramping  the  ground  with  their  naked  feet,  and  breaking  the 
clods  with  their  hoes,  till  they  have  reduced  the  whole  to  a 
proper  consistency.  The  seed  is  then  literally  “ cast  upon  the 
waters”;  and,  as  evaporation  takes  place,  it  settles  in  the  mud, 
germinates,  springs  up,  and  produces  an  abundant  harvest,  the 
results  being  thus  “ seen  after  many  days.”  The  appearance 
of  a field  of  rice,  as  it  advances  to  maturity,  is  not  dissimilar  to 
one  sown  with  wheat  or  barley  in  our  own  country  ; and  when 
ripe  the  grain  is  gathered  in  and  stored  up  in  a similar  manner. 

The  dryer  land,  in  more  elevated  situations,  is  selected  for 
Indian  and  Guinea  corn,  both  of  which  are  largely  used  by  the 
natives  and  produced  with  very  little  labour.  After  the  ground 
has  been  cleared  of  weeds,  and  becomes  moistened  with  the 


1 68  Africa:  Paat  and  Preseiit. 

first  showers  of  rain  that  fall  after  the  dry  season,  the  labourer 
passes  along,  merely  grazing  the  ground  with  a hoe  at  intervals 
of  two  or  three  feet,  drops  in  the  seed,  covers  it  up  with  the 
foot,  and  thus  the  work  of  sowing  is  accomplished.  As  the 
green  blade  springs  up,  it  only  requires  weeding  occasionally, 
and  a plentiful  crop  is  generally  secured  as  the  result  of  this 
trifling  labour.  The  Guinea  corn  is  of  two  kinds.  When  freed 
from  the  husk,  one  sort  has  the  appearance  of  small  peas  ; and 
the  other,  which  is  a kind  of  maize,  has  a striking  resemblance 
to  the  common  canary  seed.  All  kinds  of  corn  in  Western 
Africa  grow  to  a great  height,  varying  from  eight  to  twelve 
feet;  and  each  stem  being  stout  and  strong,  the  process  of 
reaping  resembles  that  of  felling  small  trees.  When  the  grain 
is  ripe,  the  husbandman  strikes  at  the  root  of  the  tall  stalk  with 
his  billhook  or  cutlass,  and  it  falls  to  the  ground.  The  large 
bushy  ears  are  carefully  collected  into  the  granary,  and  the 
stems  are  used  for  fuel,  fencing,  or  other  domestic  purposes, 
as  occasion  requires. 

The  mode  of  threshing  adopted  by  the  natives  is  also  pecu- 
liarly rude  and  simple.  They  carry  the  corn  to  an  elevated 
place  in  the  field  cleared  for  the  purpose,  and  simply  beat  out 
the  grain  with  large  sticks,  and  the  work  is  done.  The  process 
of  winnowing  is  equally  simple ; for,  selecting  a windy  day  for 
the  purpose,  they  merely  throw  up  the  corn  into  the  air,  the 
breeze  blows  away  the  chaff,  and  the  pure  grain  is  collected 
and  stored  up  for  mercantile  purposes,  or  for  home  consumption. 
The  native  granaries  are  circular  buildings,  formed  of  mud  or 
wattled  canes,  according  to  circumstances,  and  covered  with 
thatched  roofs.  They  generally  stand  on  posts  eight  or  ten 
feet  high  from  the  ground,  and  are  reached  by  a movable 
ladder.  This  arrangement  is  considered  necessary  to  preserve 
the  grain  from  the  depredations  of  the  various  kinds  of  vermin 
with  which  the  country  abounds,  as  well  as  to  make  it  less 
accessible  to  the  two-footed  animals,  who  might  be  otherwise 
tempted  to  help  themselves  to  their  neighbours’  property  without 
permission. 


Western  Africa,  169 

But  the  yam  is  the  edible  most  highly  prized  by  the  natives 
of  Western  Africa.  At  this  we  are  not  surprised,  when  we  call 
to  mind  its  nutritive  qualities,  and  the  ease  with  which  it  is 
produced  in  a climate  so  well  adapted  to  its  growth.  It  is 
cultivated  by  planting  cuttings  after  the  manner  of  potato  setting 
in  England ; only  the  yam  being  so  much  larger  than  the 
potato,  it  requires  a deeper  soil.  One  yam  sometimes  weighs 
eighteen  or  twenty  pounds,  and  would  furnish  a meal  for  a 
considerable  family.  In  substance  this  root  is  more  like  the 
turnip  than  the  potato,  but  in  taste  it  resembles  neither, 
partaking  more  of  the  nature  of  bread.  In  shape  it  bears  a 
striking  resemblance  to  the  ginger  root,  frequently  branching 
off  in  finger-like  projections  and  other  fantastic  forms.  The 
sweet  potato  is  also  a valuable  edible,  somewhat  smaller 
than  the  yam,  but  equally  nutritious ; and,  although  totally 
unlike  any  vegetable  in  domestic  use  in  Europe,  it  is  eaten 
with  relish  when  the  taste  for  it  is  once  acquired.  It  is 
cultivated  by  planting  slips  of  the  top,  which  take  root 
and  run  along  the  ground,  or  climb  up  a pole  like  a vine. 
On  this  account  it  is  an  economical  article  of  diet,  being 
produced  with  little  labour  and  still  less  expense  for  seed, 
and  it  is  in  high  repute  among  the  natives  as  well  as  with 
Europeans. 

The  sea-coast  and  rivers  of  Western  Africa  abound  with 
excellent  fish,  such  as  the  dolphin,  pilchard,  mullet,  and  others; 
and  the  market  of  some  of  the  settlements  is  occasionally 
supplied  with  mussels,  cockles,  and  oysters.  The  shell-fish  last 
named  are  produced  in  a curious  manner.  They  grow  upon 
trees,  and  we  have  seen  a fine  crop  of  oysters  brought  to  market 
still  adhering  to  the  branches  on  which  they  had  grown.  This 
statement,  true  as  it  is,  may  require  some  explanation.  There 
are  no  rocks  to  which  the  young  oysters  can  adhere,  as  in  most 
other  places ; but  there  are  roots  and  branches  of  the  mangrove 
trees  in  abundance,  which  are  submerged  by  the  flow  of  the 
tide;  to  these  the  young  oysters  attach  themselves,  and  on 
these  they  live  and  grow  till  they  are  matured,  when  the  natives 


1 70  Africa  : Past  and  Present. 

come  and  chop  off  the  branches,  throw  them  into  their  canoes, 
and  take  them  to  the  market,  as  already  stated. 

It  does  not  come  within  our  province  to  dwell  at  any  length 
here  on  the  natural  history  of  Western  Africa ; but  we  may 
briefly  observe  that  no  part  of  the  world  affords  greater  variety 
or  richer  specimens  of  the  wonderful  works  of  God  in  each 
respective  kingdom  of  nature.  We  have  already  adverted  to 
the  indications  of  mineral  wealth  which  appear  in  different 
parts  of  the  country,  as  well  as  to  the  luxuriant  vegetation  of 
the  coast,  which  presents  such  an  extensive  and  interesting 
field  for  the  researches  of  the  botanist.  The  lamented  Bowdich 
did  much  to  elucidate  these  branches  of  science  ; and  had  he 
lived  to  complete  his  investigations  in  the  interior,  still  clearer 
light  would  no  doubt  have  been  shed  upon  the  subject. 

The  wild  animals  which  haunt  the  rivers  and  roam  about 
the  forests  are  very  numerous.  The  most  prominent  of  these 
are  the  lion,  leopard,  hyena,  elephant,  hippopotamus,  crocodile, 
baboons  and  monkeys  of  various  kinds,  from  the  savage  gorilla 
to  the  smallest  species  so  easily  domesticated  in  dwelling-houses. 
A great  variety  of  serpents  and  other  reptiles  might  be  enume- 
rated, from  the  gigantic  boa-constrictor  and  crocodile  already 
mentioned  to  the  smallest  snake  that  glides  among  the  grass, 
and  the  beautiful  harmless  little  lizard  that  intrudes  itself  into 
the  bedroom.  The  specimens  of  the  feathered  tribe  are  also 
numerous,  for  we  have  seen  in  Western  Africa  the  ostrich, 
maraboo,  crown  bird,  guinea-fowl,  vulture,  wild  turkey,  partridge, 
dove,  kingfisher,  canary,  mocking-bird,  humming-bird,  and 
parrots  and  paroquets  of  various  kinds,  with  an  almost  endless 
variety  of  small  birds  of  the  most  splendid  plumage,  exhibiting 
every  colour  of  the  rainbow.  It  is  remarkable,  however,  that 
these  exquisitely  beautiful  birds,  with  the  exception  of  the 
canary,  are  not  generally  birds  of  song.  In  travelling  through 
the  woods  a few  pleasant  chirping  notes  may  be  heard,  but 
nothing  to  be  compared  with  the  continuous  cheerful  warbling 
of  the  nightingales,  blackbirds,  thrushes,  larks,  and  linnets  of 
our  own  highly-favoured  land.  The  most  annoying  creatures 


Western  Africa.  1 7 r 

in  Western  Africa  are  those  that  belong  to  the  reptile  and 
insect  tribes.  With  care  one  may  manage  to  keep  out  of  the 
way  of  the  larger  animals ; or,  if  an  encounter  be  inevitable, 
the  enemy  may  be  vanquished,  and  there  is  an  end  of  the 
contest;  but  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  escape  from,  or  to 
vanquish,  the  endless  hosts  of  centipedes,  scorpions,  flies,  cock- 
roaches, ants,  and  innumerable  other  foes,  not  to  be  mentioned, 
by  which  one  is  constantly  assailed. 

Native  Tribes. 

It  is  pleasant  to  trace  the  history,  scenery,  and  natural 
resources  of  a foreign  land;  but  it  is  still  more  interesting 
to  the  Christian  philanthropist  to  inquire  into  the  character, 
condition,  and  manners  of  the  people,  with  a view  to  promote 
their  social  and  moral  elevation.  To  this  branch  of  our  subject 
we  now  turn,  with  the  hope  of  enlisting  the  kindly  sympathies 
of  the  reader  on  behalf  of  populations  long  neglected,  and 
sometimes  despised  by  their  fellow-men  of  fairer  complexion. 

Western  Africa  is  inhabited  by  various  tribes  of  the  negro 
race,  resembling  each  other  in  many  respects,  and  yet  possessing 
traits  of  character  sufficiently  distinctive  to  render  a brief 
description  of  a few  of  the  most  prominent  ones  desirable.  In 
the  northern  section  of  the  country,  sometimes  called  Sene- 
gambia,  we  meet  with  the  Jalloffs,  a numerous  people,  generally 
tall  of  stature,  but  not  remarkably  robust.  They  are  a hardy, 
daring,  warlike  race  of  men,  however ; industrious  in  their 
habits,  sociable  in  their  manners,  and  more  intelligent  than 
most  of  the  other  negro  tribes.  The  Jalloff  language  is  some- 
what harsh  and  guttural  in  its  tones ; but  when  brought  into 
the  service  of  the  sanctuary  by  the  converted  natives  on  our 
mission  stations,  as  we  have  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  it,  it 
is  remarkably  pathetic  and  impressive. 

The  next  tribe  we  come  to,  on  proceeding  southward,  is  that 
of  the  Mandingoes,  who  are  found  in  vast  numbers  on  both 
banks  of  the  Gambia,  as  well  as  in  the  kingdoms  of  Handing 
and  Bambarra,  through  which  the  celebrated  Mungo  Park 


172 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


travelled  on  his  way  to  the  Niger.  These  people  are  almost 
invariably  tall,  muscular,  and  well-formed,  with  features  some- 
what sharper  than  those  of  their  neighbours,  the  Jalloffs.  Their 
disposition  is  generally  friendly  and  hospitable,  although  they 
are  brave  and  courageous.  When  travelling  alone,  and  unpro- 
tected among  them,  we  have  always  been  treated  with  marked 
civility  and  respect,  and  never  felt  the  slightest  fear  of  moles- 
tation. We  regard  the  Mandingoes  as  the  finest  specimens  of 
negroes  that  we  have  met  with,  and  we  consider  them  capable 
of  a high  degree  of  civilization.  Their  language  is  peculiarly 
soft  and  mellow  in  its  tones;  and  on  hearing  it  spoken  we 
have  been  reminded  of  the  Italian.  It  is,  however,  somewhat 
cramped  and  confined  ■ when  applied  to  religious  purposes. 
Nor  is  this  to  be  wondered  at,  when  we  remember  that,  till  the 
arrival  of  missionaries  in  the  country,  it  had  never  been  reduced 
to  a written  and  grammatical  form. 

In  immediate  contact  with  the  tribes  just  mentioned,  and  in 
some  instances  mixed  up  with  them,  we  have  the  Fastoral 
Foolas.  As  they  are  found  in  the  regions  of  Senegambia,  these 
are  a simple,  inoffensive  people.  They  make  no  pretensions 
to  a right  in  the  soil,  but  live  by  mere  sufferance  among  the 
Jalloffs  and  Mandingoes,  to  whose  kings  or  chiefs  they  pay 
tribute  for  the  privilege  of  pasturing  their  cattle.  By  these 
petty  despots  they  are  often  severely  oppressed,  and  sometimes 
robbed  of  all  they  possess;  yet  they  seldom  complain,  but 
travel  from  place  to  place  with  their  flocks  and  herds,  as 
occasion  requires,  subsisting  entirely  on  the  milk  of  their  flocks. 
The  Pastoral  Foolas  have  a tradition  among  themselves  that 
they  originally  sprang  from  a white  man,  who  settled  in  their 
country ; and  whether  there  be  any  truth  in  this  or  not,  it  is  a 
remarkable  fact  that  they  have  a striking  resemblance  to  Euro- 
peans, not  only  in  their  complexion,  which  is  comparatively 
light,  but  also  in  their  general  aspect  and  features,  being 
destitute  of  the  flat  nose  and  thick  lips  and  retiring  forehead 
which  distinguish  most  of  the  African  tribes.  These  people 
never  pray,  neither  are  they  addicted  to  pagan  superstitious 


173 


Western  Africa. 

rites  so  common  among  the  negroes  generally ; their  highest 
idea  of  virtue  is  to  refrain  from  war,  and  to  live  in  peace  with 
all  men. 

We  may  here  mention  the  Teucolars  and  Loubies,  who  are 
generally  regarded  as  petty  tribes  of  Foolas,  in  consequence  of 
their  speaking  the  same  language,  though  differing  in  many 
respects  from  them,  The  first-named  people  resemble  the 
Mandingoes  in  appearance,  character,  and  prowess.  They  are 
not  a wandering  tribe,  like  the  Pastoral  Foolas,  but  have 
established  themselves  in  several  powerful  states,  the  principal 
of  which  are  Foota-Toro,  on  the  south  of  the  Senegal,  Foota- 
Jallon,  adjacent  to  Sierra  Leone,  and  Foota-Doo,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Wassela  and  Missina,  in  the  interior.  The 
Teucolars  are  Mohammedans,  and  frequently  designated 
learned  Foolas,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Pastoral  Foolas. 
The  Loubies  are  a degenerate  race,  stunted  in  growth,  and 
haggard  in  appearance  ; and  yet  they  speak  the  Foola  tongue. 
They  possess  neither  towns  nor  cattle,  but  wander  about  from 
place  to  place  with  wooden  bowls  and  other  utensils  which 
they  manufacture,  and  sell  to  the  Mandingoes  and  others,  and 
thus  procure  a precarious  livelihood.  From  their  appearance, 
character,  and  habits,  the  Loubies  may  be  regarded  as  the 
Gipsies  of  Western  Africa.  The  Foola  language  is  somewhat 
peculiar  in  its  structure,  and  bears  a striking  resemblance  to 
that  of  the  Kaffirs  of  Southern  Africa. 

We  must  now  divert  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  the  Moors 
of  Western  Africa ; for,  although  this  is  not  their  original  home, 
here  they  are  in  vast  numbers,  and  in  great  power  and  force. 
Amongst  these  people  are  to  be  found  the  principal  merchants 
of  the  country,  who  travel  extensively  in  the  prosecution  of 
their  special  vocation.  They  may  be  seen  crossing  the  sandy 
deserts  in  caravans,  with  their  camels  laden  with  merchandise, 
and  driving  flocks  of  poor  slaves  to  the  market.  Those  who  are 
more  settled  in  their  habits  have  established  themselves  in  the 
far-famed  city  of  Timbuctu,  and  other  large  towns  on  the  banks 
of  the  Niger ; and,  in  small  parties,  they  find  their  way  across 


174 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


the  continent,  where  they  carry  on  a lucrative  trade  with  the 
natives.  The  Moors  are  not  of  pure  negro  blood,  but  a mixture 
of  the  Arab  and  African  races.  They  are  rigid  Mohammedans, 
and  use  the  Arabic  language  in  their  ordinary  intercourse  with 
each  other,  as  well  as  in  their  religious  exercises.  In  features 
and  complexion,  the  Moors  have  a strong  Eastern  cast,  and 
are  generally  more  energetic  and  intelligent  than  their  neigh- 
bours. This  superiority  they  make  known  in  an  unmistakable 
manner,  by  their  acts  of  cruelty  and  oppression,  wherever  they 
have  power  to  dominate.  Not  only  have  the  feebler  native 
tribes  of  Western  Africa  suffered  much  from  the  tyrannical 
conduct  of  the  Moors ; but  inoffensive  travellers  have  been 
subject  to  their  treachery,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  narratives  of 
Mungo  Park,  Major  Houghton,  and  others. 

On  proceeding  southward  down  the  river  Niger,  we  meet  with 
the  Fellatas,  a numerous  and  powerful  tribe  of  people  whose 
locality  cannot  be  accurately  defined,  as  they  are  perpetually 
on  the  move.  Some  travellers  assert  that  the  Fellatas  are 
identical  with  the  Foolas,  and  that  their  warlike  character  and 
general  superiority  to  that  soft  and  effeminate  people  is  owing 
entirely  to  circumstances.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  evident  that 
the  Fellatas  on  the  banks  of  the  Niger  have  pushed  forward  in 
aggressive  and  successful  warfare  on  the  less  powerful  tribes, 
till  they  now  occupy  an  influential  and  commanding  position  in 
many  districts  where  their  name  was  formerly  unknown.  They 
have  carried  their  conquests  as  far  as  Yoruba  and  Borgoo,  and 
established  themselves  in  many  important  native  towns  and 
cities,  reducing  the  people  everywhere  to  a state  of  abject  slavery, 
after  the  example  of  the  despotic  Moors  in  the  northern  regions 
of  the  continent.  When  not  actually  engaged  in  war,  the 
Fellatas  are  described  by  the  Landers  as  “ active,  intelligent, 
mild,  and  humane  ” ; but  fighting  is  evidently  their  favourite 
occupation,  and  so  high  is  their  opinion  of  their  own  prowess, 
that  they  boldly  declare  that  “ they  could  conquer  the  whole 
world,  if  the  salt  water  did  not  prevent  them.” 

The  next  people  that  claim  our  attention  are  the  Yorubans. 


Western  Africa.  175 

This  numerous  and  powerful  tribe  of  native  Africans  inhabit 
an  extensive  plain,  the  western  border  of  which  is  within  a 
hundred  miles  of  the  coast,  and  it  extends  eastward  nearly  to 
the  river  Niger.  The  capital  of  the  country  is  Eyeo,  which 
Clapperton  describes  as  a city  fifteen  miles  in  circumference, 
with  seven  large  markets;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that 
African  towns  and  cities  frequently  include  large  tracts  of 
provision  ground,  to  enable  the  inhabitants  to  endure  a long 
siege  in  time  of  war ; so  that  the  population  is  not  always  in 
proportion  to  the  extent  of  the  place.  The  king  of  Yoruba 
inquired  of  the  traveller  how  many  wives  the  king  of  England 
possessed,  with  a view  to  form  a proper  estimate  of  his  power 
and  greatness ; and  when  informed  that  he  had  only  one,  his 
sable  majesty  laughed  heartily,  declaring  that  his  wives  were  so 
many  in  number  that,  if  linked  hand  in  hand,  they  would 
extend  across  his  kingdom  ! The  Yorubans,  like  all  the  other 
purely  negro  tribes  we  have  met  with,  were  totally  unacquainted 
with  letters,  or  reading  and  writing  in  any  form,  till  the  mis- 
sionaries appeared  among  them ; they  were,  nevertheless, 
remarkably  clever  in  the  composition  of  extemporaneous  songs, 
which  they  recited  and  sang  with  great  spirit  on  special  occa- 
sions. They  pride  themselves  in  not  being  addicted  to  the 
horrid  bloody  customs  of  the  neighbouring  nations,  in  putting 
to  death  a large  number  of  people  in  connection  with  the 
funeral  ceremonies  of  departed  kings  and  chiefs ; but  they 
admit  that  on  these  solemn  occasions  it  is  not  unusual  for 
several  councillors  and  wives  of  the  deceased  voluntarily  to 
take  poison,  that  they  may  accompany  the  royal  personage  and 
attend  upon  him  in  the  invisible  world. 

The  most  numerous,  powerful,  and  warlike  people  with 
whom  we  are  acquainted  in  Western  Africa,  are  the  Ashantis. 
They  may  be  called  a nation  rather  than  a tribe  ; for,  although 
entirely  unacquainted  with  European  civilization  when  they 
were  first  brought  to  our  notice,  they  had  attained,  by  dint  of 
their  own  energy,  to  a position  as  to  arts,  agriculture,  com- 
merce, and  war,  far  above  the  most  advanced  native  tribes  on 


176  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

this  part  of  the  continent.  The  Ashantis,  who,  according  to  the 
estimate  of  some  travellers,  amount  to  4,000,000  in  number, 
occupy  an  extensive  tract  of  country  in  the  interior  regions 
bordering  on  the  coast  of  Guinea,  of  not  less  than  60,000 
square  miles,  commencing  at  the  river  Volta,  and  extending 
over  four  degrees  of  longitude.  Being  separated  from  the 
maritime  districts  of  the  coast  of  Guinea  by  Aguambo,  Dinkira, 
and  other  powerful  states,  the  Ashantis  did  not  come  in  contact 
with  the  European  settlements  till  the  commencement  of  the 
present  century.  About  this  period  the  tribes  alluded  to  were 
obliged  to  give  way  before  the  growing  power  of  the  Ashanti 
empire,  whose  mighty  host  of  savage  warriors  carried  all  before 
them,  till  they  reached  the  border  of  the  country  of  the  Fantis, 
the  principal  tribe  of  natives  on  the  Gold  Coast.  The  whole 
territory  having  been  laid  waste  by  the  invaders,  the  timid 
Fantis  made  a stand  at  Anamabu  with  9,000  men ; but  these 
were  completely  vanquished  by  the  king  of  Ashanti,  who  came 
against  them  with  an  army  of  15,000.  The  Fantis  were  utterly 
routed,  and  put  to  death  at  the  first  onset,  with  the  exception 
of  a few  who  sought  protection  in  the  British  fortress  on  the 
coast. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  enter  into  details  on  the  subject  of 
Ashanti  wars  in  which  England  has  figured,  alas  ! too  promi- 
nently. Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  one  of  these  contests  Sir 
Charles  Macarthy,  the  esteemed  Governor  of  Cape  Coast 
Castle,  lost  his  life,  in  1824,  having  under-estimated  the  strength 
of  the  enemy,  and  rushed  into  the  heat  of  the  battle,  hoping 
to  bring  it  to  a speedy  conclusion.  It  was  not  till  the  arrival 
of  the  British  embassy  at  Kumasi,  the  capital  of  Ashanti,  to 
make  pacific  arrangements  with  the  king,  in  1827,  that  the  real 
character  and  power  of  this  remarkable  people  were  ascer- 
tained. The  narratives  published  by  Bowdich,  Dupuis,  and 
others,  are  of  fearful  interest.  These  gentlemen  were  struck 
with  the  barbaric  pomp  and  splendour  of  the  sable  monarch 
and  his  surroundings.  They  found  his  numerous  attendants 
profusely  laden  with  ornaments  of  gold,  whilst  the  most  common 


Western  Africa. 


177 


articles  in  daily  use  were  also  made  of  the  precious  metal. 
They  saw  the  royal  executioner  with  his  hatchet  on  his  breast, 
and  the  fatal  blood-stained  stool  before  him,  ready,  at  the  sound 
of  the  death-drum,  to  do  his  fearful  work ; and  they  ascertained 
that  the  king  had  recently  immolated  on  the  grave  of  his  mother 
three  hundred  victims  ! The  truth  of  the  appalling  statements 
of  the  British  ambassadors  to  the  king  of  Ashanti  has  been 
amply  corroborated  by  subsequent  witnesses  of  undoubted 
veracity.  Nor  were  the  accounts  brought  home  by  Sir  Garnet 
Wolseley  and  his  heroic  band  of  British  officers  and  men,  who 
captured  Kumasi  in  1873,  during  the  last  Ashanti  war,  more 
favourable  as  to  the  character  and  habits  of  this  warlike  and 
savage  people. 

The  Fantis,  although  far  inferior  in  courage  and  enterprise 
to  their  neighbours  the  Ashantis,  are  nevertheless  a numerous 
and  important  tribe  of  natives,  and  are  supposed  to  number 
about  1,000,000.  They  owe  their  very  existence  as  a people 
to  the  influence  and  protection  of  the  English  at  Cape  Coast 
Castle,  which  is  situated  within  their  territory;  for,  had  they 
been  left  to  themselves,  they  would  have  perished  long  ago,  as 
did  many  other  tribes,  who  were  vanquished  by  their  powerful 
enemies.  The  country  occupied  by  the  Fantis  extends  along 
the  Gold  Coast  for  nearly  200  miles,  and  reaches  inland  to  the 
river  Prah,  on  the  southern  frontier  of  the  Ashanti  country. 
The  land  is  generally  fertile,  and  in  many  places  well  culti- 
vated, the  people  being  industrious  and  well-disposed.  Populous 
towns  and  thriving  villages  are  to  be  seen  in  every  direction, 
and  the  condition  of  the  people  is  rapidly  improving  under  the 
fostering  care  of  the  British  Government  and  the  instructions 
of  the  missionaries.  Those  of  the  Fantis  who  have  been  partly 
civilized  are  fine  specimens  of  the  African  race,  and  make 
useful  servants  and  mechanics  in  the  colony. 

Immediately  bordering  on  the  countries  already  mentioned, 
we  find  another  powerful  and  important  tribe  of  native  Africans 
— the  Dahomans ; and  for  warlike  aggression  and  ferocious 
cruelty,  they  may  be  fairly  classed  with  their  still  more  powerful 


12 


178 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


neighbours  the  Ashantis.  The  savage  character  of  this  people 
was  first  brought  to  the  notice  of  Europeans  by  Mr.  Norris, 
who  took  a journey  through  the  country,  and  paid  a visit  to 
Abomi,  the  capital,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  extension 
of  trade  and  commerce,  in  1772.  This  gentleman,  as  well  as 
Mr.  Dalzel  and  others  who  afterwards  visited  Abomi,  describes 
scenes  of  cruelty  and  blood  similar  to  those  which  were  wit- 
nessed by  the  British  ambassadors  at  Kumasi.  Dalzel  gives  the 
following  account  of  the  king’s  female  body-guard:  “Within 
the  walls  of  the  different  royal  palaces  of  Dahomi  are  immured 
not  less  than  3000  women ; several  hundreds  of  these  are 
trained  to  the  use  of  arms,  under  female  generals  and  officers 
appointed  by  the  king.  These  female  warriors  are  regularly 
exercised,  and  go  through  their  evolutions  with  as  much 
expertness  as  male  soldiers.”  The  king’s  palace  at  Abomi  is 
described  as  surrounded  by  a substantial  clay  wall  about 
twenty  feet  high,  the  top  of  which  is  ornamented  with  human 
skulls,  elevated  on  small  wooden  stakes  at  regular  distances. 
Access  to  the  interior  of  the  palace  is  generally  denied  to 
Europeans;  but  Mr.  Dalzel  once  visited  the  king  during  his 
illness,  and  was  admitted  to  the  royal  bed-chamber,  a detached 
room  surrounded  by  a low  wall,  the  top  of  which  was  orna- 
mented with  human  jawbones,  and  the  path  which  led  to  it 
was  paved  with  human  skulls ! Other  appalling  instances  are 
given  by  the  traveller  just  mentioned,  the  particulars  of  which 
are  too  shocking  to  be  quoted. 

Besides  the  large  and  powerful  native  tribes  already  men- 
tioned, there  are  in  Western  Africa  many  other  separate  and 
independent  clans,  as  the  Feloops,  Egbas,  Cromantees,  Tim- 
manees,  Loossoos,  Sarrawoollies,  Sulimas,  Kurankoes,  Krumen, 
and  others,  a description  of  which  might  be  interesting  if  our 
prescribed  limits  permitted  the  attempt ; but,  so  far  as  we  have 
ascertained,  there  is  such  a striking  resemblance  between  one 
and  another,  that  we  may  venture  to  forego  further  details  in 
this  direction,  and  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  other  matters 
which  demand  our  attention. 


Western  Africa 


179 


Manners  and  Customs, 

In  offering  a few  remarks  on  the  manners  and  customs  which 
generally  prevail  among  the  native  inhabitants  of  Western 
Africa,  it  may  be  proper  in  the  first  place  to  advert  to  the 
question  of  Civil  Government.  The  people  are  in  a barbarous 
condition,  it  is  true,  but  they  are  not  entirely  without  rule  and 
law  of  some  kind.  The  whole  country  being  divided  into  a 
number  of  petty  independent  states,  the  government  is  almost 
invariably  of  the  most  despotic  character.  The  will  of  the 
king  or  chief  is  the  law  of  the  tribe;  and  woe  to  those  who  dare 
to  thwart  or  oppose  his  sable  majesty!  There  are,  nevertheless,, 
in  most  places  forms  of  law  which  are  sometimes  resorted  to. 
Not  only  has  each  tribe  its  king  or  chief,  but  each  town  has 
its  head-man  or  alcaide,  who  is  empowered  to  hear  and  settle 
cases  of  minor  consequence.  Each  town  has  also  its  bentangy. 
or  “ talking  place.”  This  is  a large  platform  of  wattled  bamboo- 
cane,  raised  about  two  feet  from  the  ground,  and  is  generally 
erected  under  the  shade  of  an  umbrageous  tree  called  “the 
palaver  tree.”  Here  the  men  meet  together  and  lounge,  espe- 
cially in  the  evening,  to  talk  over  the  news  of  the  day.  Here 
also  the  people  assemble  when  cases  of  dispute  or  disagreement 
have  to  be  settled.  This  is  the  place  of  judgment,  and  answers 
the  purpose  of  a court-house  in  our  day,  or  that  of  the  “gate 
of  the  city”  in  eastern  countries,  as  it  existed  in  ancient  times. 
The  chief  or  alcaide  having  taken  his  seat,  attended  by  his 
councillors,  the  case  is  stated  in  all  its  particulars,  witnesses  are 
cited,  and  evidence  is  taken  in  due  form.  Then  the  pleadings 
commence,  when  displays  of  native  eloquence  are  sometimes 
made  which  one  would  hardly  expect  among  such  a rude  people, 
practised  hands  being  employed  on  each  side  to  conduct  the 
proceedings. 

When  all  has  been  said  that  can  be  said  upon  the  subject, 
the  president  gives  his  dictum,  and  states  in  a few  words  what 
is  to  be  done.  If  the  case  at  all  affects  the  interests  of  the 
chief,  it  may  be  foreseen  how  it  will  terminate ; or  he  may 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


loO 

prevent  its  coming  to  a trial  in  any  form — for,  with  a word  of 
his  mouth  or  a nod  of  his  head,  he  can  inflict  the  severest 
punishment  upon  those  who  have  incurred  his  displeasure,  even 
to  the  taking  away  of  life  itself.  Indeed,  human  life  is  very 
lightly  esteemed  by  the  barbarians.  “ If  a black  man  had 
brought  me  that  message,”  said  the  king  of  Ashanti  in  a rage 
to  the  British  ambassadors,  “ I would  have  had  his  head  cut  off 
before  me!”  The  people  are  taught  to  regard  the  king  with 
profound  and  superstitious  reverence;  and  not  only  the  common 
people,  but  the  subordinate  chiefs  and  caboceers,  prostrate 
themselves  in  the  most  abject  manner  before  his  sable  majesty; 
and  when  permitted  to  approach  him  actually  crawl  into  his 
presence  upon  their  hands  and  knees,  throwing  dust  upon  their 
heads  in  token  of  their  deep  humiliation. 

Although  we  have  adverted  to  courts  of  law  and  judicial 
process  as  practised  in  some  parts  of  AVestern  Africa,  it  must 
not  be  supposed  that  there  exists  anything  of  this  kind  analogous 
to  what  we  have  in  England  and  other  civilized  countries.  It 
is  but  very  rarely  that  we  meet  with  anything  like  rational 
investigation  for  the  discovery  of  guilt,  with  a view  to  meet 
the  claims  of  justice.  Recourse  is  more  frequently  had  to 
witchcraft,  and  to  various  superstitious  rites  and  ceremonies, 
when  parties  are  suspected  of  crimes.  The  sickness  of  a chief 
often  causes  the  death  of  many  persons.  It  is  generally  ascribed 
to  magic,  and  a professed  sorcerer  is  summoned  to  find  out 
the  culprit.  This  is  professedly  done  by  the  sacrifice  of  a fowl, 
and  the  inspection  of  its  internal  parts,  accompanied  by  sundry 
incantations.  Confession  of  guilt  is  sometimes  extorted  by 
physical  torture,  and  instant  death  is  the  punishment  aw'arded. 
The  methods  of  infliction  are  various.  Men  are  speared, 
beheaded,  or  have  their  heads  crushed  betw'een  two  stones, 
and  women  are  generally  impaled.  If  a chief  is  long  in 
recovering,  or  in  dying,  many  victims  are  thus  sacrificed,  as 
the  “custom”  is  continued  till  the  crisis  arrives.  Persons 
suspected  of  adultery  are  required  to  drink  poison-w'ater,  or 
to  walk  with  bare  feet  over  plates  of  red-hot  iron  ; either  of 


Western  Africa. 


iSr 

which,  it  is  alleged,  will  prove  harmless  to  the  innocent,  whilst 
if  guilty  the  parties  will  be  deservedly  punished.  Minor  crimes, 
as  petty  thefts  and  other  misdemeanours,  are  generally  punished 
by  heavy  fines  imposed  on  persons  possessing  property,  or  the 
loss  of  personal  liberty  if  the  offender  happen  to  be  poor.  To 
drag  a poor  fellow  into  perpetual  slavery  is  the  common  mode 
of  demanding  satisfaction  for  transgression  in  Western  Africa, 
as  it  affords  the  most  certain  method  of  replenishing  the  coffers 
of  the  despot. 

On  some  occasions,  however,  the  people  are  allowed  to  take 
the  law  into  their  own  hands,  and  to  administer  it  in  a some- 
what ludicrous  manner.  This  is  especially  the  case  with  regard 
to  an  institution  which  we  found  in  existence  in  several  native 
towns  on  the  banks  of  the  Gambia,  and  which  appears  to  be 
known  on  various  parts  of  the  coast.  It  is  termed  Mumbo  Jumbo, 
and  is  called  into  operation  for  the  purpose  of  curing  domestic 
squabbles  and  punishing  rebellious  wives.  The  negroes  who 
ire  in  circumstances  to  do  so,  being  in  the  habit  of  multiplying 
their  consorts,  are  not  unacquainted  with  “family  jars”;  but 
when  a serious  breach  of  the  peace  has  taken  place,  and  the 
master  of  the  house  has  failed  to  put  matters  right  by  friendly  , 
remonstrance,  Mumbo  Jumbo  interposes  his  authority.  This 
is  a person  unknown,  with  a hideous  mask  on  his  face,  a staff 
in  his  hand,  and  robed  in  a singular  grotesque  dress  made  of 
the  bark  of  a tree.  When  he  is  seen  entering  the  town  in  the 
dusk  of  the  evening,  and  approaching  the  bentatig,  where  the 
people  are  assembled  for  their  usual  amusements,  great  is  the 
curiosity  which  is  excited  as  to  the  parties  who  may  have 
occasioned  the  visit  of  the  mysterious  personage.  There  are 
many  palpitations  and  heart-searchings  among  the  ladies,  whose 
consciences  tell  them  that  they  have  not  been  remarkably 
amiable  and  pacific  of  late  in  their  respective  families.  At 
length  Mumbo  Jumbo,  with  unerring  aim,  pounces  upon  the 
unfortunate  vixen  to  be  punished  for  her  misconduct.  He 
strips  her  naked,  ties  her  to  a post,  and  severely  beats  her  with 
his  rod,  till  she  cries  for  mercy  and  promises  not  to  offend 


182 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


again;  whilst  the  bystanders,  of  both  sexes,  look  on  with  derisive 
bursts  of  laughter  and  shouts  of  savage  joy,  forgetting  that 
their  turn  to  be  punished  may  soon  come.  This  Mumbo 
Jumbo  may  be  the  husband  of  the  lady  thus  chastised,  or  it 
may  be  his  friend,  whose  services  have  been  engaged  for  the 
occasion.  Having  executed  his  offices  in  perfect  disguise,  he 
retires  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  takes  off  his  dress,  and 
hangs  it  up  in  a tree  near  the  town,  where  it  remains  suspended 
m terrorem,  as  a standing  warning  to  unruly  wives.  Some  of 
the  African  ladies  think  there  ought  to  be  instituted  a Mumbo 
Jumbo  for  naughty  husbands,  as  well  as  for  disobedient  wives  ! 

The  sacred  ordinance  of  marriage,  as  instituted  by  the 
Almighty,  and  as  acknowledged  in  civilized  and  Christian 
countries,  is  unknown  among  the  barbarous  tribes  of  Western 
Africa.  Both  Mohammedans  and  Pagans  are  remarkably 
licentious  in  their  conduct,  and  indulge  their  sensual  passions 
without  restraint.  And  when  a so-called  matrimonial  engage- 
ment is  made,  it  is  a curious  transaction.  The  first  thought 
that  occurs  to  a young  man  with  such  a project  in  view  is — 
Has  he  the  means  of  paying  the  price  that  the  parents  will 
expect  or  demand  for  the  young  damsel  on  whom  he  has  fi.xed 
his  eye  ? This  matter  having  been  settled,  and  a present  of 
the  mystic  kola  nuts  made  in  due  form,  a bargain  is  concluded 
with  the  old  people,  irrespective  of  the  views  and  feelings  of 
the  young  lady  on  the  subject,  the  day  of  the  wedding  is  fixed, 
friends  are  invited,  and  a feast  is  prepared.  When  the  appointed 
day  arrives,  and  the  wedding  guests  are  assembled,  about  sunset 
the  bride  is  introduced,  dressed  in  a white  robe ; and,  having 
taken  her  seat  in  the  centre  of  the  hut,  a number  of  old  matrons 
surround  her,  and  give  her  earnest  and  serious  lectures  as  to 
her  future  behaviour  as  a wife.  In  the  meantime  a number  of 
young  girls,  as  bridesmaids,  enter  the  hut,  singing  and  dancing, 
and  finally  conduct  the  timid  bride  to  the  hut  appointed  for 
her  future  residence;  and  the  night  is  spent  in  feasting,  drinking, 
drumming,  and  dancing,  without  any  legal  or  religious  ceremony 
whatever. 


Western  Africa.  i83 

Polygamy  is  allowed  both  by  Mohammedans  and  pagans, 
and  is  generally  practised  by  all  the  native  tribes  with  which 
we  are  acquainted.  The  Koran  does  indeed  impose  some 
limitation  to  the  number  of  a man’s  wives,  and  requires  that  they 
should  not  exceed  four.  But  in  many  professedly  Mohammedan 
countries  the  principles  of  the  false  prophet  have  such  a slender 
hold  on  the  masses  of  the  people,  that  this  rule  is  totally  dis- 
regarded ; whilst  among  the  pagan  tribes  no  restraint  whatever 
is  recognized,  the  only  limit  to  the  number  of  a man’s  wives 
being  his  means  to  purchase  them.  We  have  met  with  instances 
in  which  native  Africans  have  had  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  wives ; 
whilst  kings,  chiefs,  and  caboceers  are  known  to  number  them 
by  hundreds  and  thousands.  It  is  said  that  the  king  of  Ashanti 
rejoices  in  the  mystic  number  of  three  thousand  three  hundred 
and  thirty-three  wives ! 

In  the  present  barbarous  state  of  African  society,  it  is 
unnecessary  for  a husband  to  calculate  the  means  of  supporting 
his  wife  or  wives,  for  when  once  procured  they  are  the  principal 
means  of  supporting  him  and  his  children.  It  is  the  wives 
who  cultivate  the  ground,  and  do  all  the  heavy  work  and 
drudgery  about  the  place,  in  common  with  the  domestic 
slaves,  whilst  their  lazy  lords  are  lounging  about  in  their  huts 
at  home  or  at  the  bentang.  The  result  of  this  fearful  system 
may  be  readily  imagined.  According  to  Major  Gray,  “poly- 
gamy is  a fruitful  source  of  jealousy  and  distrust ; it  contracts 
the  parental  and  filial  affections ; it  weakens  and  disjoints  the 
ties  of  kindred,  and  totally  unhinges  the  frame  of  society.  The 
fathers  have  many  wives,  the  wives  have  many  children ; 
favouritism,  in  its  most  odious  forms,  sets  in;  jealousy  is  soon 
aroused,  and  revenge  unsheaths  the  sword  which  deals  forth 
destruction.” 

The  birth  of  a child  in  Western  Africa  is  an  event  as  joyous 
as  in  most  other  countries,  but  it  is  attended  by  very  different 
circumstances.  The  little  stranger  no  sooner  makes  its  ap- 
pearance in  this  cold  and  cruel  world  than  the  matron  in 
attendance  takes  it  by  the  feet,  and,  lifting  it  up,  gives  it  a 


i84 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


tremendous  shaking — as  she  says,  “to  make  it  stand  straight”' 
Its  treatment  afterwards  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  this  rough 
beginning.  As  the  mother  is  soon  up  and  going  about  her 
domestic  duties,  the  little  thing  is  placed  on  a mat  or  skin  on 
the  floor  of  the  hut,  and  left  to  sprawl  about  ad  libitum,  without 
receiving  much  maternal  attention  during  the  day,  unless  it 
demands  it  by  the  strength  of  its  lungs.  When  the  mother 
goes  out  to  work  in  the  field  from  morning  till  night,  she  is 
generally  obliged  to  carry  her  infant  with  her;  and  she  may 
be  frequently  seen  digging  the  ground  with  her  child  tied  on 
her  back  or  across  her  hip,  subject  to  fearful  jolting  at  every 
stroke  of  the  hoe.  We  have  seen  the  legs  of  little  negro 
children  sadly  bent,  evidently  from  this  coarse  method  of 
nursing. 

Nor  are  the  circumstances  attending  the  death  and  funeral 
of  a child  or  other  member  of  a negro  family  less  repulsive. 
We  have  seen  touching  manifestations  of  real  or  affected  sorrow 
on  such  occasions,  so  far  as  loud  weeping  and  howling  were 
concerned ; but  at  the  same  time  the  dead  has  been  carried 
to  the  grave  in  a most  indecent  manner,  without  any  kind  of 
coffin,  at  a running  pace,  amid  the  firing  of  muskets  and  the 
noisy  clamour  of  the  people.  And  when  the  friends  return 
from  the  funeral  they  invariably  spend  the  night  in  drumming, 
dancing,  drinking,  feasting,  and  general  dissipation.  Feasts 
are  also  held  at  stated  periods  afterwards  in  memory  of  the 
dead ; and  portions  of  food  are  taken  to  the  grave  and  left 
there,  under  the  superstitious  notion  that  the  spirits  of  the 
departed  return  to  partake  of  it  during  the  night  1 

The  houses  or  huts  of  the  natives  are  generally  of  a very  rude 
and  simple  character.  Where  the  bamboo  flourishes,  as  on 
the  banks  of  the  Gambia,  the  Senegal,  and  in  other  localities, 
they  are  made  of  neat  cane  wattled  work,  as  are  also  the  fences 
which  enclose  the  yard  or  compound  of  each  family.  In  other 
places  the  dwellings  of  the  people  are  built  of  mud,  which 
dries  rapidly  in  the  sun,  and  forms  a substantial  wall.  When 
the  mud  or  clay  is  mixed  with  straw  or  dried  grass  it  is  called 


Western  Africa.  185 

“swish,”  and  is  still  more  durable.  The  usual  form  of  the 
African  huts  is  circular,  or  beehive-shaped ; and  being 
thatched  with  long  grass,  they  appear  at  a distance  like  so 
many  hayricks  in  a farmyard.  It  is  not  unusual,  however,  to 
find  in  some  towns,  as  in  Abomi  and  Kumasi,  the  dwellings  of 
the  most  opulent  natives  built  of  a square  shape ; and,  whether 
constructed  of  mud  or  woodwork,  they  are  in  these  cases 
substantially  built,  with  neat  verandahs  or  open  sitting-rooms 
in  front,  neatly  finished,  and  sometimes  highly  ornamented. 
The  place  for  cooking  the  food  is  invariably  apart  from  the 
main  dwelling,  as  are  also  the  apartments  of  the  wives  and 
slaves ; hence,  when  a man  has  a large  family,  his  domestic 
establishment  presents  the  appearance  of  a small  village  within 
an  enclosure. 

The  domestic  wants  of  the  negroes,  in  a climate  which 
admits  of  their  spending  most  of  their  time  out  of  doors,  are 
few  and  simple;  consequently  we  find  their  huts  not  encumbered 
with  much  furniture.  On  entering  the  rude  dwelling  of  an 
African,  you  may  observe  on  one  side  of  the  principal  apartment 
a narrow  platform  of  wattled  cane-work,  raised  about  half  a 
yard  from  the  ground,  and  covered  with  mats.  This  is  the 
sleeping  place,  and  answers  the  purpose  of  a bedstead.  One  or 
two  iron  or  earthenware  pots,  in  which  they  cook  their  food, 
a few  wooden  bowls  and  calabashes,  in  which  it  is  served  up, 
a wooden  mortar  and  pestle,  in  which  they  pound  the  corn  in 
making  their  cus-cus,  w'ith  a rude  lamp,  and  sometimes  a copper 
kettle,  complete  the  list  of  household  utensils  required  by  this 
simple  people. 

The  mode  of  living  adopted  by  the  negro  race  is  equally 
simple.  They  only  take  two  meals  a day — the  one  about  ten 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  other  about  six  in  the  evening. 

, These  generally  consist,  with  but  little  variation,  of  manioc, 
yams,  sweet  potatoes,  and  other  similar  roots,  pounded  corn 
(called  cus-ais\  and  boiled  rice  served  up  with  milk  or  with  soup, 
with  the  addition  occasionally  of  a small  quantity  of  fish,  flesh, 
or  fowl,  according  to  their  means,  taste,  or  fancy.  The  whole 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


1 86 

mess,  of  whatever  it  may  consist,  when  cooked  is  poured  into 
a large  calabash  or  wooden  bowl,  which  is  placed  in  the  centre 
of  the  hut,  and  around  which  the  family  assemble  to  eat, — first 
the  lords,  and  then  the  ladies  and  the  children,  for  an  African 
gentleman,  in  his  heathen  state,  never  eats  with  his  wives  or 
little  ones.  It  is  a novel  sight  to  a European,  this  negro  meal 
at  his  own  house,  especially  when  the  family  is  large,  as  they 
make  use  of  their  hands  only,  whether  the  contents  of  the  bowl 
be  solid  or  liquid, — knives,  forks,  and  spoons  being  out  of  the 
question.  In  the  course  of  our  travels  in  Western  Africa  we 
never  saw  bread  of  any  kind  baked  or  used  by  the  natives. 

In  personal  appea}-a7ice,  the  natives  who  have  never  been 
reduced  to  a state  of  slavery  are  far  superior  to  what  many 
would  suppose.  In  some  of  the  tribes  we  have  seen  men  tall 
and  athletic,  and  women,  whether  of  bronze  or  jet  black  com- 
plexion, well  formed  and  fairly  handsome,  their  skins  being  at 
the  same  time  smooth  and  shining  from  their  frequent  anointing 
with  palm  oil.  The  dress  of  those  who  do  dress  is  very  simple, 
and  differs  little  throughout  the  country, — fashions  and  modes, 
as  practised  by  civilized  nations,  being  totally  unknown.  The 
most  common  garb  of  females  consists  of  two  oblong  cloths  of 
native  manufacture,  called  “pangs,”  one  of  which  is  thrown 
loosely  round  the  lower,  and  the  other  over  the  upper  part  of 
the  person,  with  head-dress  of  Madras  handkerchiefs.  The 
men,  however,  generally  wear  wide  pantaloons,  and  a loose 
robe  reaching  down  to  the  feet  over  their  under-garments, 
and  a turban  or  cotton  cap  on  the  head.  Ladies  of  rank, 
when  in  full  dress,  appear  with  splendid  head-dresses  of  a 
conical  form,  resembling  the  shape  of  a sugar-loaf ; and  are 
frequently  laden  with  ornaments  of  gold  and  silver,  in  the  form 
of  massive  earrings,  bracelets,  manillas,  or  heavy  metallic  rings 
round  the  wrists  and  ankles,  with  a profusion  of  beads  of  various 
kinds  and  colours.  Their  favourite  domestic  slaves,  who  walk 
behind  them  when  they  visit,  however  scanty  their  clothing, 
are  also  frequently  adorned  with  ornaments  of  gold,  the  whole 
of  which,  as  well  as  the  wearers,  belong  to  their  owners.  The 


'VnMFV  I'OI-N'Dlvt;  rORV  FOR  rrS-CFS  AT  TirR  GAVI'.IV, 


I 

i 

j 


Western  Africa. 


187 


use  of  these  ornaments  is  denied  the  slaves,  as  a punishment, 
when  they  have  given  offence  to  their  mistresses.  All  classes 
of  natives,  except  slaves,  wear  sandals  of  stained  leather, 
beautifully  ornamented,  instead  of  shoes.  But  although  we 
have  thus  described  the  dress  of  those  who  do  dress,  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  children  of  both  sexes  may  be  everywhere 
seen  running  about  entirely  destitute  of  clothing,  and  that 
adults,  free  persons  as  well  as  slaves,  wear  next  to  nothing 
when  pursuing  their  daily  avocations.  There  has  been  an 
improvement,  however,  in  this  respect  of  late  years,  as  civiliza- 
tion has  advanced,  especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of  European 
settlements  and  mission  stations. 

The  people  of  Western  Africa  everywhere  manifest  a strong 
passion  for  trade  and  commerce  ; and  a native  has  no  sooner  the 
means  at  his  command,  than  he  engages  in  some  kind  of  traffic 
with  characteristic  zeal  and  earnestness,  according  to  his  oppor- 
tunity. This  propensity  is  manifested  by  all  classes,  from  the  king 
to  the  meanest  slave ; and  fairs  and  markets  are  held  periodically 
in  various  parts  of  the  country,  where  thousands  of  people 
attend  to  interchange  property,  their  trade  being  generally  con- 
ducted on  the  principle  of  barter.  Money  coin  is  unknown 
among  the  natives  of  the  interior.  That  which  approaches 
nearest  to  it  as  a circulating  medium  is  cowrie  shells.  These 
are  strung  together  in  hundreds  in  some  districts,  and  then 
they  are  easily  counted ; but  in  other  places  they  are  put  into 
bags  containing  20,000  each,  and  have  all  to  be  reckoned  off 
separately,  which  is  a very  tedious  process.  Some  idea  of  the 
cumbrous  and  inconvenient  character  of  this  shell  currency 
may  be  formed,  when  it  is  stated  that,  so  small  is  the  nominal 
value  of  the  cowrie,  fifty  of  them  go  to  a penny,  and  12,000 
to  a pound  sterling.  As  100,000  are  reckoned  a load  for  a 
camel,  twelve  camels  would  be  required  to  carry  ;^ioo  in 
cowries ; whilst  in  this  cumbrous  African  currency  form  an 
ample  burden  for  a man  to  carry  on  his  head.  Although 
cowries  are  the  most  common  kind  of  currency  in  Western 
Africa,  and  will  generally  serve  the  purpose  of  the  traveller 


1 88  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

when  he  can  procure  them,  this  is  not  always  the  case.  In 
some  parts  of  the  country,  beads,  brass-wire,  bars  of  iron,  and 
bundles  of  native  cloth  are  recognized  as  the  smaller  species 
of  currency,  and  muskets,  slaves,  and  gold  as  the  larger ; and 
without  some  of  these  articles  nothing  that  is  required  can  be 
obtained. 

Rude  and  barbarous  as  the  native  Africans  are  in  many 
respects,  they  have  nevertheless  made  a degree  of  progress  in 
some  branches  of  art  and  manufacture 'nhich.  is  quite  surprising, 
considering  their  slender  resources.  In  almost  every  part  of 
the  country  the  people  are  in  the  habit  of  weaving  a coarse  but 
strong  cotton  cloth.  It  is  made  in  very  narrow  webs  of  about 
six  or  eight  inches  wide,  which  are  sewn  together  so  as  to 
form  the  oblong  cloths  or  “ pangs,”  already  mentioned.  The 
cotton  used  in  this  fabrication  is  grown  on  the  spot,  and  is  spun 
into  threads  for  warp  and  weft  with  the  fingers,  without  any 
kind  of  machinery;  whilst  the  loom  for  weaving  is  of  the 
simplest  construction.  The  art  of  dyeing  is  also  generally 
known.  Different  colours  are  used  to  ornament  their  garments  ; 
but  the  most  common  is  a permanent  blue  obtained  from 
indigo,  which  is  an  indigenous  plant  on  the  banks  of  the 
Gambia,  and  in  other  places.  In  earthenware  they  manufacture 
coarse  dishes,  pots,  and  jars,  some  of  which  are  ornamented 
with  curious  devices,  as  are  also  the  calabashes  which  they 
prepare  and  use  for  various  domestic  purposes.  Mats  used 
for  sitting  and  sleeping  on  are  also  staple  articles  of  native 
manufacture  almost  everywhere  ; whilst  the  art  of  tanning  and 
working  in  leather  is  generally  practised : some  of  the  articles 
thus  made — as  sandals,  greegrees,  pouches,  saddles  and  bridles, 
etc. — are  sometimes  beautifully  ornamented.  But  the  best 
specimens  of  native  art  which  we  have  seen  are  those  which 
exist  in  different  kinds  of  metal.  Iron,  copper,  and  gold  are 
found  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  These  the  natives 
smelt  and  work  up  into  a variety  of  articles  with  wonderful 
ingenuity,  with  tools  of  the  rudest  description.  The  gold  rings, 
chains,  and  bracelets,  which  we  have  seen  manufactured  in 


Western  Africa. 


i8g 


'Western  Africa,  might,  in  some  instances,  have  been  taken  for 
the  work  of  European  goldsmiths,  so  delicate  and  beautiful 
were  both  the  design  and  the  workmanship. 

Superstitious  Notions  and  Practices. 

On  turning  our  attention  to  the  moral  and  religious  condi- 
tion of  the  numerous  tribes  inhabiting  Western  Africa,  a dark 
and  gloomy  picture  presents  itself  to  our  view ; for  what  can 
we  expect  in  a land  where  the  Christian’s  Bible,  and  Sabbath, 
and  Saviour,  are  unknown  ? Truly  “ darkness  covers  the  earth 
and  gross  darkness  the  people.” 

The  entire  population  of  Western  Africa  was  no  doubt  pagan 
at  no  very  remote  period ; but  in  modern  times  the  religion 
of  the  false  prophet  has  extensively  prevailed,  having  been 
zealously  propagated  with  fire  and  sword  by  northern  tribes  of 
Arab  descent.  But  there  is  not  so  much  difference  between 
the  Mohammedanism  and  the  paganism  of  the  negroes  as  many 
suppose.  The  distinction  is  rather  nominal  than  real,  so  far  as 
the  moral  conduct  of  the  people  is  concerned.  All  profess  to 
believe  in  the  existence  of  God,  if  a confused  notion  of  a higher 
power  may  be  so  designated  ; but  all  are  entirely  ignorant  of 
the  character  and  claims  of  the  Divine  Being,  and  exceedingly 
superstitious.  This  is  evident  from  the  eagerness  with  which 
they  resort  to  their  greegrees,  saphies,  and  fetishes,  in  times  of 
difficulty  and  danger,  and  the  confidence  which  they  place  in 
their  ability  to  procure  for  them  every  good  which  they  require 
and  to  defend  them  against  every  kind  of  evil. 

Greegree,  or  saphie,  is  the  name  given  by  Mohammedans  to 
the  charms  or  amulets  which  they  wear  upon  their  persons,  or 
suspend  in  their  dwellings,  to  avert  a dreaded  evil  or  to  procure 
a desired  good.  They  generally  consist  of  a few  sentences 
extracted  from  the  Koran,  and  written  upon  slips  of  paper  in 
Arabic  by  the  priest  or  viaraboo,  who  carries  on  a profitable 
trade  in  this  branch  of  his  profession — a high  price  being  fre- 
quently paid  for  one  of  them.  When  they  are  to  be  worn  upon 


Africa;  Past  and  Present, 


I go 

the  person  as  ornaments,  these  scraps  of  writing  are  enclosed 
in  small  pieces  of  red  cloth  or  leather,  neatly  stitched  up,  and 
stained  with  various  colours,  with  thongs  attached  with  which 
to  suspend  them  from  the  neck  or  bind  them  to  the  arms,  etc. 
One  of  these  greegrees  will  be  worn  to  preserve  the  person  from 
being  pierced  with  a spear  or  musket-ball  in  battle ; another  to 
prevent  the  wearer  drowning  by  the  upsetting  of  the  canoe ; 
whilst  a third  will  be  suspended  open,  as  an  inscription,  in  the 
hut  or  store  of  the  native  merchant,  to  procure  prosperity  in 
trade,  etc.  So  numerous  are  the  purposes  for  which  these 
foolish  charms  are  used,  that  we  have  frequently  seen  the 
superstitious  natives  almost  covered  with  them  from  head  to 
foot ; and  we  have  witnessed  some  affecting  instances  of  the 
implicit  confidence  which  is  placed  in  them  on  occasions  of 
emergency.  To  show  that  the  Mohammedan  negroes  are  not 
very  particular  as  to  the  construction  of  their  charms  or 
amulets,  and  to  illustrate  the  superstitious  regard  which  they 
pay  to  anything  belonging  to  white  men,  it  may  be  stated  that 
on  one  occasion,  on  a greegree  being  cut  open,  it  was  found  to 
contain  nothing  more  than  a square  of  white  man’s  soap,  with 
the  mark  clear  and  legible,  “ Genuine  Brown  Windsor  ” ! 

The  little  incident  just  mentioned  may  serve  to  show  the 
intimate  relationship  which  exists  between  the  greegree  and  the 
fetish,  in  the  confused  and  ignorant  mind  of  the  negro.  Whilst 
the  greegree  of  the  Mohammedan,  when  correctly  made,  con- 
sists of  a written  charm,  as  already  stated,  the  fetish  of  the 
pagan  is  made  of  almost  anything,  consecrated  by  the  priest 
for  the  purpose  ; the  stranger  the  matter  employed,  the  greater 
is  the  confidence  which  appears  to  be  placed  in  it.  The  most 
common  articles  used  in  the  construction  of  fetishes,  to  be  worn 
on  the  person  or  hung  up  in  the  house  or  garden,  are  the  heads, 
claws,  bills  and  bones  of  various  kinds  of  birds,  animals,  and 
reptiles.  These  are  enclosed  in  the  horns  of  sheep,  deer,  or 
other  animals,  or  encased  in  leather  or  cloth,  and  suspended 
by  thongs,  like  the  Mussulman’s  greegree.  We  have  known 
instances  in  which  negroes  have  obtained  a lock  of  a white 


Western  Africa.  19 1 

man’s  hair,  or  the  paring  of  his  finger  nails,  for  the  purpose  of 
fetish,  having  a high  opinion  of  their  power  to  preserve  them 
from  evil. 

In  addition  to  the  superstitious  confidence  which  the  degraded 
Africans  place  in  these  foolish  things,  they  are  in  the  habit  of 
noting  lucky  and  unlucky  days,  and  of  performing  numerous 
silly  rites  and  ceremonies,  on  going  to  war  or  commencing  a 
journey,  which  partake  of  the  nature  of  witchcraft.  When 
questioned  on  the  subject,  we  have  never  known  them  give  any 
reason  for  their  strange  conduct  beyond  that  which  they  have 
always  at  hand,  and  which  they  make  use  of  on  almost  every 
occasion — namely,  they  do  so  “ because  their  forefathers  did 
so,  and  they  are  quite  satisfied  to  tread  in  their  steps.” 

Some  of  the  superstitious  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  negro 
race  partake  more  of  the  nature  of  open  idolatry  than  any  of 
those  which  have  yet  been  mentioned.  For  instance,  they  pay 
homage  to  certain  lakes,  rivers,  and  mountains,  which  they 
regard  as  sacred,  believing  them  to  be  the  special  dwelling- 
places  of  their  gods.  They  also  adore  various  animals  and 
reptiles,  which  they  believe  to  be  animated  by  the  spirits  of 
their  departed  ancestors.  In  some  places  large  serpents  are 
kept  and  fed,  in  houses  set  apart  for  the  purpose,  by  the  fetish 
priests.  To  these  ugly  creatures  sacrifices  are  presented  and 
divine  homage  is  paid  by  the  people  at  stated  periods — a liberal 
present  being  always  brought  for  the  officiating  priest  on  all 
such  occasions.  At  Dix  Cove  a large  crocodile,  kept  in  a pond 
near  the  fort,  constantly  received  divine  honours  a few  years 
ago.  Any  person  going  on  shore  at  that  place  might  have  a 
sight  of  the  hideous  monster  at  the  expense  of  a white  fowl  and 
a bottle  of  rum.  The  fetish-man  took  the  fowl  and  the  spirits, 
and  proceeding  to  the  pond,  made  a peculiar  whistling  noise 
with  his  mouth,  when  the  crocodile  came  forth  and  received 
the  white  fowl  as  his  share  of  the  offering,  whilst  the  priest 
appropriated  the  liquor  to  himself.  On  one  occasion,  Mr. 
Hutchinson  and  Captain  Levens  were  exposed  to  considerable 
peril  on  paying  a visit  to  this  place  to  witness  the  novel  scene ; 


1 92  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

for  the  fowl  having  escaped  from  the  fetish-man  into  the  bush 
just  as  it  was  being  presented,  the  crocodile  made  towards  them, 
and  pressed  them  so  closely  that,  had  not  a hapless  dog  crossed 
their  path,  of  which  the  monster  made  his  repast,  one  of  them 
would  most  probably  have  fallen  a victim  to  his  rapacity. 

In  common  with  many  other  heathen  nations,  the  Africans 
are  in  the  habit  of  offering  sacrifices  to  their  deities,  as  well  as 
of  uttering  before  them  foolish  and  unmeaning  prayers.  Fowls, 
oxen,  sheep,  goats,  and  dogs  are  slain  for  this  purpose,  as  the 
deluded  natives  are  strongly  impressed  with  the  idea  that  their 
gods  delight  in  blood.  But  the  most  awful  circumstance  that 
has  come  under  our  notice,  in  connection  with  African  super- 
stitions, is  that  of  the  offering  of  human  sacrifices,  which  prevails 
to  an  alarming  extent,  especially  in  the  kingdoms  of  Ashanti  and 
Dahomi.  If  a king  or  a nobleman  wishes  to  convey  a message 
to  a departed  friend  in  the  world  of  spirits,  he  whispers  the 
message  in  the  ears  of  a slave,  and  immediately  has  his  head 
struck  off ! And  at  the  death  of  persons  of  distinction,  hundreds 
of  hapless  human  beings  are  cruelly  slaughtered  by  surviving 
relatives,  that  their  spirits  may  attend  upon  those  whom  they 
wish  to  honour  in  the  unseen  world,  and  that  their  bloodthirsty 
deities  may  be  propitiated.  On  the  death  of  the  king  of 
Dahomi,  a few  yeai's  ago,  280  of  his  wives  fell  victims  to  the 
sanguinary  superstition  alluded  to ; and  still  larger  numbers 
have  fallen  in  Ashanti  on  similar  occasions. 

This  dark  account  of  African  superstitions  may  be  still  further 
confirmed  and  illustrated  by  a brief  quotation  from  the  testimony 
of  a modern  missionary.  Describing  what  he  witnessed  on  the 
coast  of  Guinea,  the  Rev.  A.  Bushnell  says  : “ After  visiting  the 
principal  chiefs,  I went  to  see  several  of  their  juju,  or  ‘devil 
houses.’  The  principal  one  is  a rude  thatched  edifice,  upon 
entering  the  door  of  which  I saw  grinning  at  me  four  or  five 
hundred  human  skulls,  with  which  the  pillars  and  walls  were 
lined  ; and  as  I crossed  the  room  I walked  upon  a pavement 
of  human  skulls.  The  sight  was  the  most  ghastly  and  horrid  I 
have  ever  seen.  As  with  trepidation  I retreated  from  this  habi- 


Western  Africa, 


193 


tation  of  devils,  my  attention  was  called  to  a scaffold  eight  or 
ten  feet  high,  in  the  yard  near  the  door,  on  which  were  a large 
quantity  of  human  bones,  some  of  which  seemed  fresh  and  new 
Upon  inquiry,  I learned  that  these  were  the  bones  of  enemies 
taken  or  killed  in  war,  or  for  witchcraft ; and  some  of  the  flesh 
had  been  eaten,  and  the  blood  drunk,  in  horrid  fetish  orgies. 
To  this  temple  the  sick  are  brought  to  sleep,  and  to  have  incan- 
tations performed  over  them.  From  this  charnel-house  I went 
to  call  upon  Juju  Jack,  the  ‘arch-priest,’  or  ‘chief  devil-man.’ 
I found  him  sitting  in  the  porch  of  his  dwelling,  with  emblems 
of  his  craft  on  either  side.  He  conducted  me  through  a room 
in  which  were  skulls  and  fetishes,  and  through  a dark  passage 
into  a back  apartment,  where  I was  furnished  with  a chair  and 
offered  palm  wine.  He  is  a fiendish-looking  elderly  man,  and 
seems  capable  of  any  work  of  cruelty  and  blood.” 

T o the  dark  and  fearful  catalogue  of  cruel  and  superstitious  prac- 
tices to  which  the  natives  of  Western  Africa  are  addicted,  we  must 
add  the  appalling  crime  of  cannibalism,  and  we  have  done.  We 
were  long  since  aware  that,  in  the  furious  triumphs  of  the  battle- 
field, Ashanti  warriors  and  other  native  soldiers  were  in  the  habit 
of  drinking  the  blood  and  eating  the  hearts  of  their  vanquished 
enemies,  from  a superstitious  notion  that  they  would  by  doing 
so  imbibe  the  courage  and  the  warlike  spirit  of  those  whom  they 
had  slain  ; but  we  were  not  till  recently  prej  ared  to  admit  that 
in  any  part  of  the  vast  continent  men  could  be  found  who 
would  deliberately  slay  and  devour  each  other.  But  from  well- 
authenticated  accounts  which  have  recently  come  to  hand,  it 
appears  to  be  even  so.  For  fearful  illustrations  of  African 
cannibalism  we  might  refer  the  reader  to  the  “Travels  of  Du 
Chaillu,”  and  other  publications ; but  the  most  recent  and  direct 
information  on  the  subject  is  that  lately  brought  from  the  Bonny 
river  by  the  mail  steamer  Armenian.  A party  landing  there 
from  this  vessel  declare  that,  on  walking  through  the  tow-n,  they 
were  horrified  to  see  no  less  than  five  human  heads,  arranged 
in  the  most  systematic  order  on  the  grass,  with  a fire  close  by 
and  a pot  ready  for  cooking.  At  another  spot  not  far  distant 

13 


194 


A/rua  Past  and  P>  esent. 


lay  arms,  legs,  and  other  parts  of  human  bodies,  an  old  black 
woman  being  busily  engaged  in  preparing  the  ghastly  meal ! But 
we  must  turn  away  from  this  sickening  sight,  acknowledging  the 
truth  of  the  Divine  declaration,  that  “ the  dark  places  of  the 
earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of  cruelty. 

Colonization  and  Missions. 

Although  the  soil  of  Western  Africa  is  in  many  places  very 
fruitful,  and  the  land  on  the  whole  abundantly  productive,  as 
already  stated,  there  is  nothing  in  the  climate  or  circumstances 
of  the  country  to  make  it  a desirable  place  for  European 
colonization  or  emigration,  as  compared  with  Southern  Africa, 
Australia,  America,  and  other  lands  where  the  climate  is  com- 
paratively healthy.  It  is,  nevertheless,  a fact  that  at  a very 
early  period  a number  of  settlements  or  mercantile  establish- 
ments were  formed  on  the  coast,  some  of  which  have  gradually 
expanded  into  considerable  dimensions.  These  were  originally 
called  “factories,”  and  were  generally  connected  with  the  in- 
famous slave-trade.  When  this  appalling  traffic  in  human 
beings  had  become  an  extensive  and  recognized  institution, 
private  mercantile  firms  and  incorporated  trading  companies 
built  stores  and  established  slave-barracoons  at  the  mouths  of 
the  principal  rivers  and  other  places,  where  they  contrived  to 
have  everything  in  readiness  when  vessels  came  to  bring  sup- 
plies of  merchandise  and  to  carry  off  the  slaves.  At  these 
points  they  generally  erected  forts,  and  mounted  them  with 
guns  for  the  defence  of  their  establishments,  knowing  that  the 
nature  of  their  traffic  constantly  exposed  them  to  the  sudden 
attacks  of  hostile  natives.  They  also  kept  an  ample  supply  of 
small  arms  and  ammunition,  not  merely  to  barter  for  slaves, 
but  also  for  the  use  of  the  slave-hunting  parties  which  were  sent 
forth,  from  time  to  time,  to  capture  and  bring  in  the  poor 
hapless  negroes,  when  the  supply  was  not  sufficient  from  other 
sources  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  market. 

It  was  not  till  the  slave  trade  was  doomed,  and  a spirit  of 


Wester 71  Africa^  195 

Christian  philantnropy  was  awakened  in  the  breasts  of  a few 
noble-minded  Englishmen,  that  European  and  American  settle- 
ments were  established  in  Western  Africa,  in  the  interests  of 
legitimate  commerce,  and  with  a view  to  promote  the  civiliza- 
tion and  moral  elevation  of  the  natives.  Viewed  from  this 
standpoint,  and  as  connected  with  Christian  missions,  the 
history  of  the  respective  settlements  which  have  been  formed 
on  the  western  coast  of  Africa  becomes  a very  interesting 
study,  illustrating,  as  it  does,  the  character  of  the  country  and 
the  condition  of  the  people.  To  this  branch  of  the  subject  we 
now  call  the  attention  of  the  reader,,  so  far  as  our  limited  space 
will  permit. 


Sierra  Leone. 

The  first  British  settlement  formed  on  the  western  coast  of 
Africa,  the  avowed  object  of  which  was  the  suppression  of  the 
slave  trade,  the  encouragement  of  legitimate  commerce,  and 
the  civilization  of  the  natives,  was  called  Sierra  Leone,  from  a 
river  of  that  name,  on  the  southern  bank  of  which  the  first 
town  was  built.  For  hundreds  of  miles  on  either  hand  the 
coast  is  generally  low  and  swampy ; but  here  the  land  rises 
into  mountains  of  considerable  altitude,  and  there  is  a bold 
peninsula  stretching  out  into  the  sea  which  forms  an  excellent 
shelter  for  vessels  at  anchor  in  the  spacious  natural  harbour 
formed  thereby,  in  the  mouth  of  the  river,  which  is  several 
miles  wide,  and  navigable  for  vessels  of  moderate  burden  to  a 
considerable  distance  up  the  country.  These  natural  advantages 
soon  attracted  the  notice  of  Europeans  visiting  the  coast ; and  as 
early  as  1463  the  Portuguese  established  themselves  for  a time 
at  this  place.  The  notorious  Sir  J.  Hawkins,  the  first  English- 
man who  embarked  in  the  African  slave  trade,  also  landed 
here,  and  made  unsparing  use  of  fire  and  sword  in  capturing 
the  poor  natives  to  drag  them  into  hopeless  bondage.  But  the 
time  came  when  this  locality  was  to  be  the  scene  of  a very  dif- 
ferent enterprise,  and  when  the  long  degraded  negroes  were  to 


196 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


be  taught  to  know  that  there  were  white  men  who  felt  for  them 
as  men  and  brethren. 

On  the  2 1 St  of  July,  1783,  Dr.  Smeatham,  who  had  spent 
several  years  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  addressed  a letter  to  Dr. 
Knowles,  suggesting  the  idea  of  a free  negro  settlement  at 
Sierra  Leone,  for  the  purpose  of  checking  and  putting  down 
the  slave  trade,  and  of  diffusing  the  principles  of  Christianity 
among  the  natives.  The  same  subject  seems  to  have  been 
occupying  the  mind  of  the  benevolent  Mr.  Sharp  at  the  same 
time ; for  on  the  ist  of  August  of  the  same  year  he  sketched 
the  outline  of  a plan  of  such  a settlement,  which  he  observed 
in  the  first  paragraph,  “ will  deserve  all  encouragement,  if  the 
settlers  are  absolutely  prohibited  from  holding  any  kind  of 
property  in  the  persons  of  men  as  slaves,  and  selling  either 
man,  woman,  or  child.”  The  necessity  for  such  a settlement 
was  rendered  more  urgent  in  consequence  of  a large  number 
of  negro  slaves  having  obtained  their  freedom  by  deserting 
from  their  masters  and  joining  the  British  in  the  American 
war;  and  for  whom,  as  well  as  for  a number  of  Maroons  brought 
from  Jamaica,  it  was  necessary  to  provide  a permanent  home. 
Some  of  these  had  been  sent  to  Nova  Scotia,  others  to  the 
Bahamas,  and  many  more  had  come  to  England  with  the 
British  army  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Those  who  crowded  the 
streets  of  London  were  in  a most  wretched  condition  of  misery 
and  starvation.  As  many  as  four  hundred  applied  to  Mr. 
Sharp  and  other  benevolent  gentlemen  for  relief  at  one  time ; 
and  it  was  found  necessary  to  appoint  a committee  to  devise 
some  means  of  meeting  the  emergency. 

The  number  of  negro  mendicants  in  and  about  the  metro- 
polis was  now  so  large  that  they  were  regarded  as  a public 
nuisance;  and  the  Government  was  induced  to  interfere  by 
providing  temporary  relief  for  the  poor  sufferers,  and  by  fur- 
nishing transports  to  take  out  as  many  as  were  willing  to  go, 
to  form  a new  settlement  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 
Everything  being  arranged,  at  length  the  little  fleet  sailed, 
under  convoy  of  the  Nautilus  sloop  of  war,  on  the  8th  of  April, 


Western  Africa, 


197 


1787;  having  on  board  400  negroes  and  6cr  Europeans.  On 
the  arrival  of  the  vessels  at  Sierra  Leone,  Captain  Thompson, 
who  had  been  placed  at  the  head  of  the  expedition,  purchased 
from  the  paramount  native  chief  of  the  country  a fine  tract  of 
land  about  twenty  miles  square,  well  watered  and  in  every 
respect  suitable  for  the  purpose  of  a settlement,  to  which  other 
territory  was  afterwards  added.  He  then  fixed'  upon  a beautiful 
eminence  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  river  or  estuary  for  the 
site  of  a new  township.  Three  hundred  and  sixty  town  lots  of 
one  acre  each  were  measured  off,  with  regular  streets  intersect- 
ing each  other  at  right  angles;  and  the  lots  were  drawn  for  and 
apportioned  on  the  1 2th  of  J une. 

But  notwithstanding  these  favourable  circumstances,  the 
actual  commencement  of  the  settlement  was  extremely  in- 
auspicious. The  negroes  had  become  thoroughly  demoralized 
during  their  residence  in  London  ; and,  if  possible,  still  more  so 
on  their  passage  out, — a large  quantity  of  ardent  spirits  having 
been  consumed  on  board  the  ships.  They,  moreover,  arrived 
at  Sierra  Leone  at  the  most  sickly  season  of  the  year,  in  a 
spirit  of  general  murmuring  and  complaint,  and  the  sickness 
and  mortality  which  speedily  followed,  were  fearful.  When 
the  Nautilus  left  for  England,  about  three  months  after  the 
arrival  of  the  fleet,  there  remained  in  the  colony  only  276 
persons ; so  that  by  desertions  and  deaths  the  settlers  had 
been  reduced  in  this  short  space  of  time  to  little  more  than 
one-half  the  original  number.  In  March,  1788,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Fraser,  who  had  gone  out  as  colonial  chaplain,  was  obliged  to 
return  home  on  account  of  illness,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
departure  the  number  of  colonists  had  been  further  reduced 
to  130.  Apprehensive  that  the  infant  settlement  might  become 
entirely  extinct  unless  speedy  help  was  afforded,  Mr.  Sharp 
and  the  friends  who  acted  with  him  hastened  to  its 
relief,  by  sending  out  the  brig  Myro,  laden  with  stores,  and 
conveying  thirty  nine  additional  settlers,  including  two  medical 
men  and  other  gentlemen  of  superior  intelligence  and  in- 
fluence. This  timely  relief  encouraged  the  few  surviving 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


198 

colonists;  but  they  were  soon  afterwards  doomed  to  experi- 
ence another  sad  calamity.  A neighbouring  native  chief,  feeling 
aggrieved  by  the  conduct  of  some  of  the  settlers  towards 
him  and  his  people,  first  gave  notice  of  his  intention,  and 
then  came  down  with  his  warriors  and  burnt  the  town  to 
ashes. 

In  the  year  1791,  another  association  was  formed  for  the 
management  of  the  new  settlement ; by  whose  efforts  a few 
of  the  dispersed  colonists,  to  the  number  of  sixty-four,  were 
again  collected,  and  encouraged  to  make  another  attempt 
to  form  a permanent  establishment  at  Sierra  Leone.  About 
the  same  time  1200  of  the  free  negroes,  already  alluded  to, 
were  brought  over  in  sixteen  vessels  from  Nova  Scotia,  at  their 
own  request,  the  climate  of  North  America  proving  unsuitable 
for  them;  and  soon  afterwards  100  Europeans  arrived  from 
England,  just  in  time  to  put  down  a party  of  rebellious 
negroes  who  threatened  the  destruction  of  the  settlement. 
With  this  large  reinforcement  of  settlers,  a fresh  commence- 
ment was  made  at  colonization,  and  a new  town  began  rapidly 
to  rise  on  a better  site  than  the  former  one,  which  by  order 
of  the  Directors  was  called  Free  Town,  to  indicate  the  avowed 
object  of  the  settlement  as  the  home  of  freedom.  During 
the  following  two  or  three  years  the  colony  made  rapid  ad- 
vancement; but  in  1794,  when  it  had  arrived  at  a pleasing 
state  of  prosperity,  the  town  was  entirely  destroyed  by  a French 
squadron,  which  attacked  it  with  an  overwhelming  force.  By 
this  untoward  event  a large  amount  of  property  was  sacrificed, 
and  the  loss  to  the  Company  was  estimated  at  ^^50,000. 

Disappointed  and  discouraged  by  the  frequent  reverses  which 
they  had  experienced,  in  1.808  the  association  which  had 
hitherto  managed  the  affairs  of  Sierra  Leone  transferred  the 
entire  settlement  to  the  British  Government.  From  that  period 
it  has  continued  to  prosper,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties 
with  which  it  has  had  to  contend,  arising  from  the  unhealthi- 
ness of  the  climate  and  the  political  enemies  by  which  it  has 
been  frequently  assailed.  The  slave  trade  having  been  pro- 


AI-KICaN  V’lf.t.AGK  .AND  r\L\VKK  TKKK. 


Wesie)  n Africa.  i c 9 

claimed  illegal,  a number  of  British  ships  of  war  were  now 
appointed  to  cruise  on  the  coast,  with  a view  to  intercept  the 
vessels  employed  in  carrying  off  slaves  in  a clandestine  manner, 
and  to  set  the  poor  captives  free.  The  negroes  thus  liberated 
were  for  several  years  taken  to  Sierra  Leone  and  provided  for 
by  Government,  till  they  were  able  to  cultivate  the  allotments 
of  land  which  were  given  to  them  for  their  own  support.  The 
population  of  the  colony,  which  has  been  constantly  increasing, 
now  consists  chiefly  of  liberated  Africans  and  their  descendants, 
together  with  the  descendants  of  the  Nova  Scotian  and  Maroon 
settlers  previously  mentioned,  and  about  a hundred  Euro- 
peans, most  of  whom  are  employed  in  various  offices  under 
Government. 

Free  Town,  the  capital  of  the  colony,  is  beautifully  situated 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river  or  estuary,  on  a gentle  slope  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  about  six  miles  from  the  point  of  the 
peninsula,  which  juts  out  into  the  sea,  in  latitude  8°  30'  north 
and  longitude  13°  30'  west.  It  presents  a charming  aspect 
when  viewed  from  the  shipping  in  the  harbour ; many  of  the 
buildings  being  of  a substantial  character,  and  interspersed 
with  cocoanut,  banana,  and  other  umbrageous  trees  of  the 
freshest  green.  The  Government  House,  barracks,  hospital, 
the  signal  station  with  its  flagstaff,  and  the  Wesleyan  mission- 
house  and  chapel,  are  prominent  objects  in  the  landscape,  in 
consequence  of  their  elevated  position  in  the  rear  of  the  town. 
There  are  also  many  other  towns  and  villages  in  different  parts 
of  the  colony,  some  of  which  are  situated  among  the  mountains 
inland,  and  others  by  the  seashore,  surrounded  by  the  farms 
and  gardens  of  the  inhabitants.  The  principal  of  these  are 
Wilberforce,  Wellington,  Waterloo,  York,  Regent,  Kissey,  Kent, 
Charlotte,  Leicester,  Gloucester,  Bathurst,  Grassfield,  Hastings, 
and  Allen  Town. 

In  these  places  the  liberated  Africans  are  chiefly  located, 
and  they  may  be  seen  engaged  in  agricultural,  mechanical, 
and  other  industrial  pursuits.  Having  been  dragged  away  from 
their  homes  on  various  parts  of  the  vast  continent,  they  speak 


200 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


a variety  of  languages  or  dialects  among  themselves  ; but  they 
soon  learn  a little  English,  and  become,  with  proper  instruction, 
intelligent  and  useful  members  of  society.  The  capability  of 
the  African  race  of  education  and  advancement  in  various 
kinds  of  knowledge  has  been  fully  demonstrated  at  Sierra 
Leone,  for  we  have  there  clerks,  merchants,  civil  and  military 
officers,  magistrates,  teachers  and  Christian  ministers,  who  in 
their  youth  and  boyhood  were  rescued  from  slavery,  and  when 
first  put  to  school  were  as  ignorant  as  can  well  be  imagined. 
Altogether  the  colony  wears  a pleasing  aspect ; and,  notwith- 
standing the  difficulties  with  which  it  has  had  tO'  contend,  it 
bids  fair  to  fulfil  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  its  fiiends 
and  patrons.  The  population  of  Free  Town  is  estimated  at 
15,000,  and  that  of  the  whole  colony  at  50.000. 

The  most  pleasing  feature  in  the  colony  of  Sierra  Leone  is, 
however,  its  rapid  advancement  in  religion  and  morals  ; and  a 
brief  summary  of  the  means  employed  to  bring  about  the 
wonderful  change  which  has  taken  place  in  the  condition  of 
the  people  in  this  respect,  can  scarcely  fail  to  interest  the 
reader.  The  history  of  missionary  enterprise,  in  this  land  of 
sickness  and  death,  has  been  as  chequered  as  that  of  its  civil 
affairs  at  an  early  period;  Colonial  chaplains  were  appointed 
at  different  times,  from  the  beginning,  to  minister  to  the 
Government  functionaries  and  others  ; but  owing  to  frequent 
deaths  and  absences  from  illness,  the  office  was  often  vacant. 
The  first  effort  of  a purely  missionary  character  for  the  benefit 
of  Western  Africa  was  made  by  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society, 
which  sent  out  Messrs.  Grigg  and  Rodway  in  1795.  On  their 
arrival  at  Sierra  Leone  it  was  agreed  that  Mr.  Grigg  should 
settle  at  Porto  Logo,  a town  about  forty  miles  up  the  river,  in  the 
Timmanee  country ; and  Mr.  Rodway  at  Banana  Islands,  about 
thirty  miles  to  the  south  of  Free  Town.  But  the  first-named 
gentleman  having  misconducted  himself,  was  dismissed  from 
the  colony  by  the  Governor,  and  embarked  for  America,  whilst 
the  other  was  obliged  to  return  to  England  on  account  of  the 
failure  ot  nis  health ; and  the  mission  was  relinquished 


Western  Africa. 


201 


In  February,  1796,  several  mechanics  belonging  to  the 
Wesleyan-Methodist  Connexion  sailed  from  London  for  Sierra 
Leone,  with  the  view  of  establishing  a colony  in  the  Foolah 
country,  in  order  to  instruct  the  natives  in  the  arts  of  civilized 
life,  as  well  as  to  make  known  to  them  the  truths  of  the  Gospel. 
In  this  undertaking  they  appear  to  have  been  encouraged  by 
Dr.  Coke,  although  not  authorized  by  him  or  the  Conference, 
but  left  to  act  entirely  on  their  own  responsibility.  The  conse- 
quence was,  on  reaching  Free  Town,  they  disagreed  among 
themselves  before  proceeding  to  their  destination,  separated 
from  each  other,  some  returning  home  and  others  settling  in 
the  colony,  and  the  enterprise  was  abandoned.  The  next 
attempt  was  made  by  the  Glasgow  and  London  Missionary 
Societies  conjointly,  who  sent  out,  in  September,  1797,  Messrs. 
Brunton,  Greig,  Ferguson,  Graham,  Russell,  and  Caffe. 
Scarcely,  however,  had  they  met,  when  a disposition  to  differ 
from  each  other  was  manifested.  Before  they  had  even  left 
England,  violent  disputes  arose  among  them  on  a variety  of 
theological  points,  which  resulted  in  a scene  of  wrangling, 
bitterness,  and  malignity,  which  surpasses  description.  They 
nevertheless  proceeded  to  Sierra  Leone,  with  the  intention  of 
settling  in  the  Foolah  country  ; but,  from  the  unhappy  circum- 
stances alluded  to,  and  other  hindrances,  they  never  reached 
their  destination.  They  soon  became  separated  and  scattered, 
and  the  enterprise  was  abandoned.  The  Glasgow  Missionary 
Society  afterwards  sent  out  to  Sierra  Leone  Messrs.  Henderson 
and  Campbell.  On  their  arrival  at  their  destination  they  opened 
a school,  and  at  first  promised  well;  but  ultimately  they  both 
proved  unfaithful.  One  of  them  remained  in  the  country,  and 
engaged  in  the  infamous  slave  trade,  and  the  other  returned 
to  Scotland  and  became  an  infidel !. 

It  was  not  till  the  commencement  of  the  present  century, 
when  the  Church  and  Wesleyan  Missionary  Societies  undertook 
the  work  of  evangelization  in  Western  Africa,  that  the  cause 
took  a permanent  and  progressive  form.  The  following  is  an 
epitome  of  the  incidents  connected  with  the  commencement 


202 


Africa  t Past  and  Present. 


and  course  of  the  labours  of  these  two  honoured  institutions  in 
Sierra  Leone  and  adjacent  places  : — 

The  Church  Missionary  Society  fixed  upon  Western  Africa 
as  its  first  field  of  foreign  labour.  It  was  in  1804  that  it  sent 
out  to  Sierra  Leone  Mr.  Renner,  a German,  and  Mr.  Hartwig, 
a Russian,  to  instruct  the  people  in  a knowledge  of  Divine 
things.  In  1806  Messrs.  Nylander,  Butrcher,  and  Prasse — all 
of  whom  had  been  trained  at  the  Berlin  Missionary  Seminary 
and  ordained  according  to  the  rites  of  the  Lutheran  Church — 
embarked  at  Liverpool  to  strengthen  the  mission ; but  several 
months  elapsed  before  they  reached  Sierra  Leone,  the  vessel  in 
which  they  first  sailed  having  been  stranded  on  the  coast  of 
Ireland,  and  the  second  on  board  of  which  they  went  having 
been  long  detained  both  at  Falmouth  and  Madeira.  The  colony 
being  at  that  time  unprovided  with  a regular  chaplain,  some  of 
the  brethren  undertook  to  discharge  his  duties  in  Free  Town, 
whilst  the  rest  went  to  the  Rio  Pongas,  a river  which  lies  about  a 
hundred  miles  to  the  north  of  the  colony,  to  form  a settlement 
among  the  Susoos  inhabiting  its  banks.  Here  they  were  joined 
by  other  missionaries  and  teachers  who  were  sent  out  from  time 
to  time,  several  of  whom  soon  fell  victims  to  the  climate.  This 
country  was  occupied  by  the  agents  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  for  twelve  years,  with  very  slender  results,  scarcely  a 
convert  having  been  won  to  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  At  length 
the  mission  was  considered  to  be  working  so  unsatisfactorily 
that  the  Rev.  E.  Bickersteth  was  sent  out  by  the  committee  to 
visit  and  inspect  the  stations,  and  to  report  on  their  condition 
and  the  prospects  of  the  work. 

Mr.  Bickersteth  landed  at  Sierra  Leone  on  the  7th  of  March, 
1816,  having  called  at  Goree  on  his  way  ; and  proceeded  at 
once  to  visit  the  respective  stations  on  the  Rio  Pongas,  Bashia, 
Canoffee,  Kapparoo,  and  other  places,  as  well  as  the  various 
towns  and  villages  of  the  colony.  The  devoted  clergyman 
spent  four  months  on  the  coast,  and  was  much  pleased  with 
what  he  saw  of  the  country  and  the  people.  He  rejoiced  over 
the  progress  made  in  the  instruction  of  the  rising  generation  in 


Western  Africa.  203 

the  mission  schools,  but  lamented  the  neglect  of  preaching,  the 
lack  of  adult  converts,  the  want  of  unity  among  the  Society’s 
agents,  and  the  scarcity  of  English  missionaries.  The  following 
sentences  extracted  from  the  report  which  he  presented  to  the 
committee  on  his  return  home  will  indicate  his  sentiments  on 
the  subject  last  mentioned  : — “ Much  as  we  are  indebted  to  cur 
German  brethren,  their  labours  are  our  disgrace,  their  Christian 
courage  and  self-denial  our  reproach,  and  in  an  English  colony 
they  cannot,  from  their  almost  necessary  ignorance  of  our 
language  and  habits,  be  so  acceptable  as  Englishmen.  O that 
some  self  denying  and  devoted  clergymen,  who  love  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  better  than  their  own  lives,  would  at  once  give  up 
all  for  Him,  and  come  out  to  labour  here  !” 

Notwithstanding  this  touching  appeal,  the  stations  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa 
continued  to  be  manned  chiefly  by  German  missionaries  and 
teachers,  till,  in  the  process  of  time,  native  agents  were  raised 
up  and  trained  in  the  mission  schools  and  the  Fourah  Bay 
College  to  take  a part  in  the  good  work,  into  whose  hands  it 
ultimately  passed  almost  entirely.  This  desirable  result  was 
largely  aided  by  a blessed  revival  of  religion  which  was  expe-  , 
rienced  in  Regent’s  Town,  Gloucester,  and  other  places ; the 
missionaries  having  been  withdrawn  from  the  Rio  Pongas,  and 
employed  chiefly  in  the  colony,  among  the  liberated  Africans, 
after  Mr.  Bickersteth’s  visit. 

From  year  to  year  the  work  in  which  the  agents  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  were  engaged  in  Sierra  Leone  pro- 
gressed in  a most  delightful  manner,  till  the  Committee  at  home 
felt  warranted  in  placing  the  establishment  on  a new  and  inde- 
pendent footing,  that  their  funds  might  be  relieved  for  other 
purposes.  A European  bishop  having  been  appointed,  and 
provision  made  for  his  maintenance,  and  an  adequate  number 
of  native  clergymen  having  been  trained  up  and  ordained  for 
the  respective  stations,  it  was  proposed  to  devolve  the  work 
entirely  on  the  native  pastorate,  with  the  bishop  at  their  head, 
and  to  solicit  aid  towards  its  support  from  the  funds  of  the 


204 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


colony.  This  was  accordingly  done,  and  for  a long  time  a 
grant  of  ;^5oo  a year  was  made  to  the  so  called  Church  of 
England  in  Sierra  Leone,  whilst  all  other  denominations  were 
left  to  support  their  own  ministers  as  best  they  could.  As 
might  have  been  expected,  this  arrangement  worked  very  badly, 
the  majority  of  professing  Christians  in  Sierra  Leone  feeling 
aggrieved  that  they  should  be  taxed  for  the  support  of  a Church 
to  which  they  did  not  belong,  and  from  which  they  derived  no 
benefit  whatever.  After  much  agitation  and  heart-burning  on 
the  subject,  the  Governor  and  Council  were  obliged  to  discon- 
tinue a grant  from  the  colonial  chest  to  a Church  which  had 
never  been  established  by  law,  and  which  had  no  grounds  of 
claim  for  such  a favour  above  other  churches  of  the  colony ; 
and  henceforth-  religious  equality  was  conceded  to  all  denomi- 
nations, without  respect  to  creed  or  condition.  At  the  present 
time  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Sierra  I^eone  numbers  one 
bishop,  twenty-five  ministers  (fourteen  of  whom  are  natives), 
4225  communicants,  3515  scholars  in  the  mission  schools,  and 
10,000  attendants  on  public  worship. 

An  outline  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary 
Society  in  this  part  of  the  wide  field  may  be  compressed  into  a 
few  sentences.  Among  the-  negroes  who  were  conveyed  from 
Nova  Scotia  to  Sierra  Leone,  in  1791,  there  were  several  who 
had  become  partially  enlightened  and  otherwise  benefited  by 
attending  the  services  of  the  Methodist  ministers  in  America. 
Some  of  these  having  made  repeated  applications  to  Dr.  Coke 
for  preachers  of  their  own  denomination  to  be  sent  from 
England,  in  the  year  1811  the  Society  responded  to  their 
request  by  the  appointment  of  the  Rev.  G.  Warren  as  their 
first  missionary  to  Western  Africa.  Mr.  Warren,  accompanied 
by  three  English  schoolmasters,  landed  in  Free  Town  on  the 
12th  of  November,  and  they  entered  upon  their  work  in  the  true 
missionary  spirit.  They  found  about  a hundred  of  the  Nova  . 
Scotia  settlers  who  called  themselves  “ Methodists.’*  These 
simple-minded  people  had  built  a rude  chapel,  in  which  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  meeting  together  to  worship  God  from 


Western  Africa. 


205 


Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  a few  of  the  most  intelligent  men  among 
them  conducting  the  services  and  instructing  the  rest  according 
to  the  best  of  their  ability.  They  received  the  missionary  from 
England  with  the  liveliest  demonstrations  of  gratitude  and  joy ; 
and  to  them,  as  well  as  to  the  poor  afflicted  liberated  Africans, 
who  were  from  time  to  time  rescued  from  bondage  by  British 
cruisers  and  brought  to  Sierra  Leone,  his  earnest  ministrations 
were  greatly  blessed. 

The  missionary  career  of  Mr.  Warren,  so  auspiciously  com- 
menced, was  but  of  short  duration,  however.  He  was  smitten 
down  with  fever,  and  finished  his  course  on  the  12  th  of  July, 
1812,  about  eight  months  after  his  arrival, — being  the  first  of  a 
large  number  of  Wesleyan  missionaries  who  have  fallen  a sacri- 
fice to  the  climate  of  Western  Africa  since  the  commencement 
of  the  work.  After  the  station  had  remained  vacant  for  some 
time,  other  devoted  missionaries  were  sent  out  to  Sierra  Leone, 
who  counted  not  their  lives  dear  unto  them  if  they  could  only 
be  made  instrumental  in  winning  souls  for  Christ.  No  sooner 
did  the  intelligence  arrive  in  England  that  missionaries  and 
their  wives  had  fallen  in  the  holy  strife,  than  others  nobly  volun- 
teered their  services,  and  went  forth  in  the  spirit  of  self  sacrifice 
— in  many  instances  to  share  the  same  fate.  This  has  been 
going  on  for  more  than  half  a century ; and  although  the 
mortality  among  the  agents  of  the  Society  is  appalling  to 
contemplate,  the  social,  moral,  and  spiritual  results  of  the 
mission  are  grand  and  glorious  beyond  description.  Congre- 
gations have  been  gathered,  places  of  worship  erected,  native 
churches  organised,  and  Christian  schools  established,  not  only 
in  Free  Town,  but  in  most  of  the  towns  and  villages  in  the 
colony.  High  schools  have,  moreover,  been  established  for 
the  training  of  native  teachers  and  preachers,  and  to  give  a 
superior  education  to  both  males  and  females.  The  advance- 
ment of  the  people,  most  of  whom  have  been  rescued  from 
slavery,  in  religious  knowledge,  general  intelligence,  moral 
conduct,  and,  indeed,  in  everything  which  goes  to  constitute 
genuine  Christian  civilization,  is  literally  astonishing.  And, 


206 


Africa:  Pant  and  Present, 

what  is  better  still,  multitudes  of  sinners  have  been  savingly 
converted  to  God,  some  of  whom  have  passed  away  safely  to 
the  better  country,  and  others  are  still  exemplifying  the  beauty 
of  religion  by  a holy  walk  and  conversation.  In  the  Sierra 
Leone  district  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  numbers  35 
chapels,  12  missionaries  (9  of  whom  are  native  ministers), 
5646  church  members,  4340  scholars  in  the  mission  schools, 
and  15,000  attendants  on  public  worship. 

In  addition  to  the  Church  and  Wesleyan  Missionary  Societies, 
who  have  taken  the  lead  in  the  work  of  religious  instruction  in 
Sierra  Leone,  other  agencies  have  been  advantageously  em- 
ployed. Missionaries  belonging  to  what  are  called  the  Metho- 
dist Free  Churches  and  the  New  Connexion  have  been  at  work 
for  several  years  in  Free  Town.  There  is  also  a congregation 
of  professing  Christians  who  claim  tO' belong  to. Lady  Hunting- 
don’s connexion,  and  some  other  minor  bodies  of  religionists, 
who  have,  according  to  their  respective  modes  of  action, 
displayed  considerable  zeal  and  earnestness  for  the  promotion 
of  Christianity  as  they  hold  it.  Whatever  opinions  may  exist 
as  to  the  undesirableness  of  such  a diversity  of  religious 
denominations  in  a small  community  like  that  of  Sierra  Leone, 
every  true  friend  of  missions  will  rejoice  to  see  earnest  efforts 
made  by  anybody  and  everj-body  to  stem  the  tide  of  ungodli- 
ness, and  to  promulgate  the  Gospel  in  a place  where  Moham- 
medanism and  paganism  still  prevail  to  an  alarming  extent. 

The  Gambia. 

Although  the  navigation  of  the  river  Gambia  had  been  left 
for  many  years  almost  entirely  to  the  English,  it  was  not  till 
after  the  restoration  of  Senegal  and  Goree  to  the  French,  in 
1816,  that  a permanent  British  settlement  was  formed  on  this 
part  of  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  for  the  suppression  of  the 
slave  trade  and  the  encouragement  of  legitimate  commerce. 
The  place  selected  for  this  purpose  was  an  island  called  St 
Mary,  four  miles  long  and  one  broad,  situated  about  ten  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  separated  from  the  mainland 


207 


Western  Africa, 

towards  the  south  by  a narrow  creek  called  the  “ Oyster  Creek.” 
The  island  is  generally  low  and  swampy,  but  it  was  considered 
the  most  eligible  place  for  a settlement,  from  its  commanding 
position,  and  the  excellent  anchorage  which  the  river  affords  at 
tliis  point  for  vessels  of  almost  any  burden.  Its  proximity  to 
the  sea,  and  the  facility  which  it  afforded  for  inland  navigation, 
also  recommended  the  locality  as  a suitable  centre  of  commerce 
and  civilization  on  this  portion  of  the  great  continent. 

The  foundation  of  the  settlement  was  laid  and  the  principal 
buildings  were  erected  by  a few  energetic  merchants  and  others 
who  had  previously  resided  on  the  island  of  Goree,  but  who 
came  to  St.  Mary’s  with  their  servants  and  merchandise  when 
the  British  took  possession  of  the  Gambia.  The  principal 
town  is  Bathurst,  which  stands  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
island,  facing  the  main  branch  of  the  river,  in  latitude  13°  north 
and  longitude  17°  west.  It  contains  a number  of  excellent 
dwelling-houses,  and  a few  public  buildings  of  respectable 
appearance,  among  which  may  be  noted  the  Government 
House,  the  Wesleyan  chapel  and  mission  house,  the  barracks, 
the  hospital,  the  prison,  and  a few  others.  The  town  is  laid 
out  with  wide  streets  at  right  angles  ; and  the  one  which  runs 
parallel  with  the  river  contains  a number  of  elegant  and  sub- 
stantial stone  buildings  occupied  by  the  principal  merchants, 
with  verandahs  in  front,  which  not  only  afford  a delightful 
prospect  and  a grateful  shade  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  but 
which  also  give  to  the  place  a beautiful  appearance  when  viewed 
from  the  shipping  in  the  harbour.  The  back  part  of  the  town 
is  occupied  chiefly  with  native  huts,  formed  of  wattled  bamboo 
cane,  thatched  with  long  grass,  and  neatly  plastered  and  white- 
washed with  lime  made  from  shells  gathered  along  the  sea- 
shore. Soldiers’  Town,  Melville  Town,  Goderich  Town,  Jollar 
Town,  and  Moka  Town,  are  mere  villages  in  different  parts  of 
the  island,  occupied  by  the  classes  of  people  indicated  by  some 
of  their  names. 

The  river  Gambia  itself  is  a magnificent  stream,  navigable 
for  vessels  of  considerable  burden  to  a distance  of  about  400 


2o8 


Africa : Past  and  Preseyit. 


miles,  and  possesses  various  features  of  interest,  as  stated  in  a 
previous  section.  It  is  studded  with  numerous  islands,  on  one 
of  which,  called  Macarthy  in  honour  of  an  esteemed  governor, 
a small  British  settlement  was  formed  at  an  early  period ; and 
several  of  the  merchants  of  St.  Mary’s  have  branch  establish- 
ments there,  at  which  they  carry  on  a considerable  trade.  The 
inhabitants  of  this  part  of  Africa,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  are 
chiefly  Mandingoes  and  Jalloffs,  most  of  whom  are  Moham- 
medans, with  a few  pagans  here  and  there.  A large  number 
of  Liberated  Africans,  as  they  are  technically  called,  have, 
however,  been  brought  to  the  Gambia  from  time  to  time, 
and  located  on  St.  Mary’s  and  Macarthy’s  islands  and  in  the 
neighbouring  districts,  as  thousands  before  had  been  taken  to 
Sierra  Leone.  These  are  poor  negro  slaves  of  different  nations 
and  tribes  who  have  been  rescued  from  bondage,  and  landed 
from  slave  ships  taken  by  British  cruisers  while  in  the  act  of 
pursuing  their  unlawful  traffic.  These  poor  outcasts  have  risen 
to  a pleasing  state  of  civilization  and  general  intelligence,  since 
they  were  taken  under  the  fostering  care  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment and  favoured  with  the  religious  tuition  of  the  missionaries. 

No  provision  had  been  made  for  the  moral  and  religious 
instruction  of  the  colonists,  or  the  native  tribes  of  this  part  of 
Africa,  when  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  commenced  its 
labours,  in  the  year  1821.  The  first  missionary  sent  out  was 
the  Rev.  John  Morgan,  who  arrived  at  St.  Mary’s  on  the  8th 
of  February.  He  was  soon  a'fterwards  joined  by  the  Rev.  John 
Baker  from  Sierra  Leone,  when  these  two  devoted  servants  of 
God  began  to  look  about  for  the  most  eligible  site  for  a mission 
station.  Their  object  being  chiefly  to  benefit  the  surrounding 
native  tribes,  they  were  an.xious,  if  possible,  to  establish  them- 
selves on  the  mainland  ; and  Tendabar,  a few  miles  up  the 
river,  having  been  recommended  as  a suitable  place,  Mr. 
Morgan  went  there  alone  on  a visit  of  inspection,  as  Mr.  Baker 
was  suffering  from  indisposition.  The  king  of  that  part  of  the 
country  readily  granted  permission  for  the  missionaries  to  settle 
on  his  land,  but  signified  his  inability  to  protect  them  in  case 


Western  Africa.  209 

they  should  be  molested  by  the  people ; so,  in  consequence  of 
this  and  other  difficulties,  the  idea  of  settling  there  was 
relinquished. 

On  the  partial  recovery  of  Mr.  Baker,  the  missionaries  went 
together  to  visit  the  king  of  Combo,  on  the  southern  bank  of 
the  Gambia.  Having  offered  their  presents,  they  were  gra- 
ciously received  by  his  sable  majesty,  who  signified  his  consent 
for  the  strangers  to  settle  in  any  part  of  the  country  which 
they  might  select  as  most  suitable  for  their  object.  They 
ultimately  fixed  upon  a place  called  Mandanaree,  about  eight 
miles  from  St.  Mary’s ; and  they  commenced,  soon  afterwards, 
to  fell  the  trees  and  to  build  a house  to  live  in — which  they 
completed  in  the  course  of  a few  weeks,  with  the  help  of  the 
natives.  During  these  operations,  and  subsequently,  the  mis- 
sionaries visited  St.  Mary’s  alternatively,  once  a week,  to  preach 
to  the  people,  and  sometimes  they  went  together.  On  the  14th 
of  June  their  temporary  dwelling-house  was  so  far  advanced  as 
to  admit  of  their  occupying  it — which  they  found  a great  relief, 
having  hitherto  lodged  with  a negro  in  his  rude  hut,  amid  many 
discomforts.  Although  considerably  elevated,  the  place  selected 
for  a mission  station  at  Mandanaree  was  far  from  healthy ; and 
when  the  rainy  season  set  in  both  the  missionaries  were  pros- 
trated with  fever,  and  were  obliged  to  remove  to  St.  Mary’s,  where 
they  could  have  medical  aid.  Before  the  end  of  the  year, 
however,  Mr.  Baker  proceeded  to  the  West  Indies  by  direction 
of  the  Missionary  Committee,  his  health  having  become  so 
impaired,  by  his  long-continued  labours  in  Western  Africa,  as 
to  render  a change  absolutely  necessary. 

Mr.  Morgan  had  recovered  from  his  first  attack  of  fever,  and 
was  pursuing  his  beloved  work  alone,  when  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  receiving  as  his  colleague  the  Rev.  William  Bell,  who  had 
been  sent  from  England  by  the  Committee  to  reinforce  the 
mission.  This  devoted  young  missionary  appeared  well  adapted 
for  the  enterprise  upon  which  he  had  entered ; but  he  was  soon 
called  away  to  the  “ better  country.”  He  died  of  fever  at  St. 
Mary’s  on  the  15th  of  March,  forty-six  days  after  his  arrival. 

14 


210 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


The  vacancy  thus  made  was  filled  for  a time  by  the  Rev. 
George  Lane,  from  Sierra  Leone,  but  his  health  also  failing,  he 
was  soon  obliged  to  return,  and  he  shortly  afterwards  finished 
his  course.  On  the  14th  of  April,  1824,  Mr.  Morgan  was 
relieved  by  the  arrival  from  England  of  the  Rev.  Robert 
and  Mrs.  Hawkins,  who  entered  upon  their  work  in  the  true 
missionary  spirit. 

By  this  time  it  had  become  evident  that  the  proper  place 
for  the  principal  station  was  St.  Mary’s,  and  arrangements 
were  forthwith  made  for  the  erection  of  a mission-house  and 
place  of  worship  in  Bathurst.  A considerable  number  of  native 
converts  were  soon  afterwards  united  in  Church  fellowship,  as 
the  result  of  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  Gospel ; schools  were 
organized  for  boys  and  girls,  and  the  machinery  of  a promising 
mission  station  was  fairly  put  in  motion.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawkins 
suffered  much  from  sickness  during  their  period  of  service,  but 
they  laboured  well  and  successfully,  and  were  spared  to  return 
home  in  1827,  the  Rev.  Samuel  and  Mrs.  Dawson  being 
appointed  to  take  their  place.  Mrs.  Dawson  was  smitten  with 
fever  and  died  at  Sierra  Leone,  on  her  way  to  the  Gambia, 
and  her  sorrowful  and  bereaved  husband  proceeded  to  his 
station  alone.  On  the  i8th  of  November,  1828,  the  Rev. 
Richard  and  Mrs.  Marshall  arrived  at  the  Gambia  from  England, 
to  relieve  Mr.  Dawson ; and  the  school  being  once  more 
favoured  with  the  supervision  of  a Christian  lady,  and  the 
station  with  an  energetic  missionary,  the  work  prospered  in  a 
very  pleasing  manner.  Mr.  Marshall  had  laboured  with  accept- 
ance and  success  for  nearly  two  years,  when  he  fell  a sacrifice 
to  the  climate,  and  finished  his  course  with  joy  at  Bathurst  on 
the  19th  of  August,  1830.  Two  days  after  the  funeral  of  her 
lamented  husband,  Mrs.  Marshall  embarked  with  her  infant  son 
for  England.  They  arrived  at  Bristol  on  the  ist  of  October; 
and,  worn  out  with  mental  and  bodily  suffering,  the  lonely 
widow  sank  into  the  arms  of  death  about  forty-eight  hours 
after  she  landed  on  the  shores  of  her  native  country,  and  before 
she  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  any  of  her  friends. 


Western  Africa, 


21 1 


It  was  when  the  Gambia  station  was  thus  left  without  a 
missionary,  and  the  whole  country  without  a Christian  teacher 
of  any  kind,  that  the  present  writer  and  his  devoted  wife  were 
appointed  as  the  successors  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall,  who 
had  been  so  mysteriously  called  to  rest  from  their  labours.  On 
our  arrival  at  St.  Mary’s,  on  the  loth  of  March,  1831^,  we-  set 
to  work,  as  best  as  we  could,  to  recommence  the  mission 
schools  and  public  services,  which  had  been  given  up  for  more 
than  six  months,  and  the  Divine  blessing  attended  our.  efforts. 
During  the  years  that  we  spent  at  the  Gambia  we  were  often 
prostrated  by  the  African  fever ; but  we  were  as  often  raised  up 
again,  in  answer  to  prayer,  and  permitted  to  pursue  our  beloved 
work.  Being  the  only  Christian  minister  of  any  denomination 
in  the  country,  I was  induced,  at  the  request  of  the  governor, 
to  undertake  the  duties  of  colonial  and  military  chaplain,  in 
addition  to  those  of  a missionary  to  the  heathen  ; the  perform- 
ance of  which  I found  somewhat  arduous,  but  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  graciously  sustained  me. 

A pleasing  measure  of  success  crowned  our  labours  at  St. 
Mary’s  ; and,  two  or  three  native  preachers  having  been  raised  , 
up  to  take  a part  in  the  good  work,  I felt  that  the  time  was 
come  when  some  effort  should  be  made  to  carry  the  Gospel  to 
the  regions  beyond.  With  this  object  in  view  I made  three 
successive  journeys  into  the  interior ; and,  with  much  toil 
and  exposure,  I succeeded  in  establishing  a new  station  at 
Macarthy’s  Island,  nearly  300  miles  up  the  Gambia, — a 
station  which  from  that  day  to  this,  a period  of  nearly  half  a 
century,  has  been  a centre  of  light  and  influence  to  all  around, 
and  the  spiritual  birthplace  of  many  precious  souls. 

When  the  time  of  our  appointed  service  at  the  Gambia  was 
completed,  we  were  relieved  by  the  arrival  from  England,  in 
1833,  of  a noble  band  of  missionary  labourers.  The  Rev. 
William  and  Mrs.  Fox  were  sent  to  succeed  us  at  St.  Mary’s, 
and  the  Rev.  Thomas  and  Mrs.  Dove  were  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  the  new  station  at  Macarthy’s  Island.  These  devoted 
brethren  and  sisters  laboured  long  and  successfully  in  this 


2 1 2 Africa  : Past  and  Present. 

trying  portion  of  the  mission  field,  and  some  of  them,  alas  ! 
fell  a sacrifice  to  the  deadly  climate.  They  were  succeeded 
by  others  in  subsequent  years,  many  of  whom  shared  the  same 
fate ; but  whilst  God  buried  His  workmen.  He  carried  on  His 
work.  Although  the  Wesleyan  missionaries  have  had  the  field 
to  themselves,  a rich  harvest  has  been  already  reaped,  to  the 
honour  and  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  work  is  still  going  on. 
A commodious  new  chapel  and  schoolrooms  have  been  built 
at  Bathurst,  and  a high  school  established  for  the  training  of 
native  teachers  and  others ; whilst  large  congregations  meet 
(together  from  time  to  time  to  worship  God,  with  a measure  of 
attention  and  devotion  truly  pleasing.  The  following  are  the 
statistics  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  in  the  Gambia 
district-:  Number  of  missionaries,  5 ; chapels,  9 ; full  and 
accredited  church  members,  675  ; on  trial  for  membership,  31; 
scholars  in  the  mission  schools,  475;  attendants  on  public 
worship,  2800. 

The  Gold  Coast. 

The  significant  name  of  “The  Gold  Coast”  has  been  given 
to  a maritime  country  of  Guinea,  in  Western  Africa,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  quantity  of  gold-dust  brought  down  from  the 
interior  by  the  natives  for  barter  with  the  European  merchants. 
It  is  about  220  miles  in  length  from  west  to  east,  between  the 
rivers  Ancobar  and  Volta,  and  contains  several  districts  with 
the  dignified  names  of  kingdoms,  inhabited  by  petty  native 
tribes  with  their  respective  chiefs  or  “kings”  at  their  head. 
At  several  points  along  the  coast  European  forts  have  been 
erected  and  small  settlements  formed  at  different  periods. 
Those  at  Dixcove,  Annamaboe,  Winnebah,  and  Accra  belong 
to  the  English ; Elmina  belonged  to  the  Dutch,  but  it  has 
recently  been  transferred  to  us.  The  Danes  also  have  a small 
fort  at  Accra.  Formerly  all  these  were  connected  with  the 
infamous  slave  trade,  but  more  recently  they  have  been  the 
centres  of  legitimate  commerce,  which  consists  of  dye-woods, 
palm  oil,  ground-nuts,  gold-dust,  beeswax,  ivory,  and  other 


vMiviii  .10  XAioi  aw  Aauj 


Western  Africa.  213 

articles  of  native  produce,  which  are  given  in  exchange  for 
European  merchandise. 

The  principal  British  fort  and  settlement  on  the  Gold  Coast 
is  Cape  Coast  Castle,  which  stands  upon  an  elevated  point  of 
land  about  twenty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  in  latitude 
5°  6'  north,  and  longitude  1°  10'  west,  and  forms  a striking 
object  as  seen  from  ships  at  anchor  in  the  roads.  As  a fortress 
the  castle  is  an  erection  of  amazing  strength  and  capacity.  It 
is  not  only  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  afford  accommodation  to 
the  British  troops,  but  it  also  includes  within  its  massive  walls 
the  residences  of  the  governor  and  other  public  functionaries  ; 
and  the  whole  population  of  the  settlement  have  taken  refuge 
in  it  when  the  place  has  been  attacked  by  an  invading  foe. 
The  town  is  situated  behind  the  castle,  and  contains  a few 
good  stone  buildings,  belonging  to  European  residents  and 
respectable  native  merchants.  The  rest  of  the  houses  are  built 
of  “swish,”  a compound  of  mud  and  grass,  which  is  durable 
so  long  as  it  is  protected  from  the  rain  by  a projecting  roof. 
The  population  is  estimated  at  5000,  and  is  of  that  mixed 
character  which  is  so  common  in  all  West  African  settlements. 
The  majority  of  the  inhabitants,  however,  are  Fantis,  the  same 
as  those  of  the  neighbouring  territory. 

The  promontory  on  which  Cape  Coast  Castle  stands  was 
OTiginally  settled  by  the  Portuguese,  but  in  the  course  of  a few 
years  they  were  dispossessed  by  the  Dutch,  who  took  care  to 
strengthen  the  fortifications  as  much  as  possible,  to  guard 
against  a surprise.  Notwithstanding  these  precautions,  in  1661 
the  place  was  captured  by  Admiral  Holmes,  and  it  has  ever 
since  belonged  to  Great  Britain,  having  been  confirmed  to  us 
by  the  treaty  of  Breda.  In  former  times  this  settlement  used 
frequently  to  be  at  war  with  the  neighbouring  tribes,  and  it 
was  in  a sanguinary  contest  with  the  Ashantis  that  Sir  Charles 
Macarthy,  the  governor,  lost  his  life.  A better  understanding 
had  existed  for  many  years,  when,  in  1873,  another  rupture 
took  place  between  the  British  authorities  and  the  king  of 
Ashanti.  This  was  speedily  settled  by  the  utter  routing  of  the 


214 


Africa:  Past  and  Presents 


enemy,  and  the  capture  of  Kumasi,  the  capital  of  Ashanti,  by 
the  British  troops  under  the  command  of  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley. 
Since  that  time  the  Cape  Coast  settlement  has  been  placed 
upon  a better  footing,  and  there  is  now  a fair  prospect  of  success 
in  the  efforts  which  are  being  made  to  promote  the  moral  and 
social  elevation  of  the  people. 

Although  the  English  have  been  so  long  dominant  on  this 
part  of  the  coast,  comparatively  little  was  done  till  a few  years 
ago  for  the  evangelization  of  the  natives.  As  early  as  1751 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Thompson,  a clergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England  in  connection  with  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  was  appointed  to  labour  at 
Cape  Coast  Castle.  He  continued  in  the  capacity  of  colonial 
chaplain  for  four  years,  but  very  little  impression  seems  to  have 
been  made  upon  the  minds  of  the  natives.  His  health  failing, 
he  returned  to  England,  and  took  with  him  two  negro  youths 
for  education.  One  of  these,  named  Philip  Quaque,  was  after- 
wards sent  to  the  university  of  Oxford  ; and,  being  subsequently 
ordained  to  the  sacred  office,  he  was  appointed  chaplain  to 
Cape  Coast  Castle.  This  post  he  continued  to  occupy  for 
more  than  fifty  years,;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  was 
instrumental  in  turning  any  of  his  fellow-countrymen  to  the 
faith  of  the  Gospel.  Nor  is  this  matter  of  surprise,  when  it  is 
known  that  on  his  deathbed  he  appeared  to  have  quite  as  much 
confidence  in  the  influence  of  the  Fetish  as  in  the  power  of 
Christianity.  Several  English  chaplains,  who  were  sent  out 
after  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Philip  Quaque,  successively  died 
soon  after  wtheir  .arrival  in  the  settlement,  and  the  country  was 
left  in  a fearful  state  of  moral  destitution  for  many  years. 

It  was  not  till  the  year  1834  that  the  Wesleyan  Missionary 
Society  commenced  its  labours  on  the  Gold  Coast.  The  way 
was  opened  for  this  enterprise  by  a particular  providence.  A 
few  native  youths  had  learned  to  read  the  Bible  in  the  govern- 
ment school  established  at  that  place,  and  they  had  become  so 
deeply  interested  in  the  contents  of  the  sacred  volume,  that 
they  formed  themselves  into  a little  society  for  the  more  careful 


Western  Africa. 


215 


reading  and  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  As  their  supply  of 
the  precious  book  was  very  limited,  they  agreed  to  send  to 
England  for  a number  of  copies  of  the  New  Testament  by  the 
first  opportunity.  They  made  their  case  known  to  Captain 
Potter,  the  master  of  a merchant  ship  from  Bristol  then  in  port. 
The  heart  of  this  noble-minded  man  was  so  impressed  in  their 
favour  that,  on  his  return  to  England,  he  not  only  complied 
with  their  request  by  procuring  for  them  the  necessary  supply 
of  Testaments,  but  he  also  called  at  the  Wesleyan  Mission  House, 
in  London,  and  generously  offered  to  take  out  a missionary  to 
the  Cape  Coast  free  of  expense  to  the  Society,  engaging  at  the 
same  time  to  bring  him  back  to  England  on  the  same  terms, 
if  the  attempt  to  introduce  the  Gospel  to  the  Gold  Coast  should 
prove  a failure. 

The  Society  gladly  availed  themselves  of  this  benevolent 
offer,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Dunwell  was  appointed  to  commence 
the  mission  on  the  Gold  Coast.  He  accordingly  sailed  with 
Captain  Potter  towards  the  close  of  the  year,  and  landed  at 
Cape  Coast  Castle  on  the  ist  of  January,  1835.  He  was  re- 
ceived with  every  mark  of  kindness  by  his  Excellency  Governo*" 
M'Lean,  and  with  feelings  of  rapture  by  the  native  youths  who 
were  so  anxious  to  be  instructed  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Sacred 
Scriptures.  The  young  missionary  opened  his  commission  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  Africa  under  circumstances  peculiarly 
encouraging,  and  he  was  soon  favoured  with  a pleasing  measure 
of  success,  not  only  in  Cape  Coast  Town,  where  he  fixed  his 
head-quarters,  but  in  other  parts  of  the  settlement  which  he 
visited  to  make  known  to  the  people  the  good  news  of  salva- 
tion. His  career,  thus  favourably  commenced,  was  soon  ter- 
minated, however.  He  was  cut  down  by  fever  on  the  24th  of 
June,  and  called  to  rest  from  his  labours  in  less  than  six  months 
after  his  arrival  in  the  country,  being  the  first  of  a large  number 
of  devoted  missionaries  who  have  fallen  a sacrifice  to  the  climate 
on  this  station. 

Some  time  after  the  lamented  death  of  Mr.  Dunwell,  two 
other  missionaries  and  their  wives  (the  Rev.  George  O.  and 


2I6 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Mrs.  Wrigley,  and  the  Rev.  Peter  and  Mrs.  Harrop)  were  sent 
out  to  occupy  the  vacant  station  : the  party  first  named  arrived 
at  Cape  Coast  on  the  15th  of  September,  1836,  and  the  others 
on  the  15th  of  January,  1837.  They  laboured  with  commend- 
able zeal,  and  with  great  success,  during  the  short  time  they 
were  permitted  to  live;  but  within  the  short  space  of  fifteen 
months  the  whole  party  were  numbered  with  the  dead,  having, 
like  many  others,  fallen  a sacrifice  to  the  climate.  Indeed,  both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrop  died  in  three  weeks  after  theii  arrival ! 
They  finished  their  course,  and  were  called  to  their  reward  in 
the  following  order : Mrs.  Harrop  on  the  5th  of  February,  Mr. 
Harrop  and  Mrs.  Wrigley  on  the  8th  of  February,  and  Mr. 
Wrigley  on  the  16th  of  November,  1837. 

Notwithstanding  this  mysterious  and  afflictive  dispensation  of 
Divine  Providence,  the  Society  could  not  think  of  relinquishing 
this  important  mission,  so  long  as  suitable  volunteers  presented 
themselves  for  the  arduous  and  hazardous  enterprise ; and  it  is 
a remarkable  fact  that,  although  others  fell  in  rapid  succession, 
the  station  was  never  left  without  a missionary  for  any  consider- 
able time.  As  the  good  work  advanced,  under  the.  blessing  of 
God,  native  labourers  were  raised  up,  and  there  was  henceforth 
less  risk  to  the  health  and  lives  of  European  missionaries.  In 
succeeding  years  mission  stations  were  established,  places  of 
worship  built,  congregations  gathered,  and  Christian  churches 
and  schools  organized,  not  only  in  Cape  Coast  Town,  but  also 
at  Elmina,  Commenda,  Dix  Cove,  Apollonia,  Anamabu,  Domo- 
nasi,  Accra,  Winnibah,  and  other  places  along  the  coast,  and 
in  the  far  distant  interior.  Indeed,  for  some  time  a missionary 
was  stationed  at  Kumasi,  the  blood-stained  capital  of  Ashanti, 
where  a handsome  place  of  worship  was  erected  and  divine 
service  regularly  performed,  till  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country 
caused  the  withdrawal  of  the  agent  and  the  temporary  giving  up 
of  the  mission.  During  the  forty-five  years  that  the  agents  of 
the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  have  been  labouring  in  this 
wide  and  interesting  field,  the  work  has  prospered  in  a most 
delightful  manner,  notwithstanding  the  unhealthiness  of  the 


■^\z  USV  Jo  ’n  xi.lV)  ilHX  ISVlV.l.M 


Western  Africa. 


217 


climate  and  other  difficulties.  The  following  are  the  statistics 
of  the  Gold  Coast  district,  according  to  the  last  report : Number 
of  missionaries  (most  of  whom  are  native  ministers),  13;  chapels, 
44;  other  preaching  places,  201;  local  preachers,  186;  church 
members,  7126;  scholars  in  the  mission  schools,  2862;  atten- 
dants on  public  worship,  31,580. 

The  Basle  and  North  German  missionary  societies  have  also 
several  important  stations  on  the  Gold  Coast,  at  Accra,  Chris- 
tiansburg,  Akropong,  and  other  places.  These  excellent  German 
institutions  train  and  send  out  as  missionaries  not  only  preachers 
of  the  Gospel  and  school  teachers,  but  also  pious  and  devoted 
mechanics  and  agriculturists,  to  teach  the  natives  the  arts  of 
civilized  life,  and  to  endeavour  to  raise  them  to  a higher  social 
position.  In  this  they  have  succeeded,  in  some  instances,  in  a 
very  pleasing  manner ; and  in  the  industrial  schools  which  have 
been  established  in  connection  with  their  respective  stations 
there  may  now  be  seen  native  shoemakers,  tailors,  carpenters, 
and  other  craftsmen,  busy  at  work  plying  their  respective  avoca- 
tions, and  preparing  themselves  for  useful  positions  in  life. 
Some  of  the  missionaries  have,  moreover,  rendered  good  service 
to  literature,  and  to  those  who  may  succeed  them  in  the  field, 
by  the  useful  dictionaries,  grammars,  and  vocabularies  which 
they  have  compiled  of  native  languages,  and  the  translations 
which  they  have  made  of  some  portions  of  Scripture  into  the 
dialects  of  the  people  among  whom  they  labour.  During  the 
Ashanti  war  in  1874,  Captain  Glover  bore  the  following  emphatic 
testimony  to  the  piety  and  general  good  conduct  of  the  native 
converts  who  joined  the  British  army  from  some  of  the  stations 
mentioned  above:  “Two  companies  of  Christians,  one  of 
Akropong,  and  the  other  of  Christiansburg,  numbering  about 
a hundred  each,  under  two  captains,  accompanied  by  Bible- 
readers  of  the  Basle  Mission,  attended  a morning  and  evening 
service  daily,  a bell  ringing  them  regularly  to  prayers.  In  action 
with  the  enemy  at  Adiume,  on  Christmas  Day,  they  were  in 
the  advance,  and  behaved  admirably,  since  which  they  have 
garrisoned  Blappah.  Their  conduct  has  been  orderly  and 


2i8 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


soldier-like,  and  they  have  proved  themselves  the  only  reliable 
men  of  the  large  native  force  lately  assembled  on  the  Volta.” 

According  to  the  last  reports,  the  Basle  Missionary  Society 
have  thirty-two  missionaries  and  thirty-seven  lay  agents  at  work 
on  the  Gold  Coast,  and  960  native  converts  are  united  in  church 
fellowship.  The  North  German  Missionary  Society  report  ten 
missionaries  as  employed  in  this  part  of  the  field,  three  of  whom 
are  natives  and  nine  lay  agents,  with  loi  native  church  members. 
The  number  of  scholars  receiving  instruction  in  the  mission 
schools  is  not  reported ; but  these  excellent  missionary  labourers 
no  doubt  pay  due  attention  to  the  training  of  the  rising  genera- 
tion in  a knowledge  of  the  Word  of  God. 

Lagos, 

One  of  the  most  notorious  slave  depots  on  the  western  coast 
of  Africa  in  former  times  was  Lagos,  a considerable  island  in 
the  Bight  of  Benin,  in  latitude  6°  north  and  longitude  4°  west. 
It  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  a river,  or,  more  properly  speak- 
ing, a large  lagoon,  which  runs  parallel  with  the  sea  for  several 
miles,  and  affords  water  communication  with  the  interior  in  the 
direction  of  Badagry,  Dahomi,  Abbeokuta,  and  other  parts  of 
the  Yoruba  country.  A great  change  has  taken  place  in  this 
neighbourhood  of  late  years  : the  slave  trade  has  been  driven 
from  this  part  of  the  continent ; Lagos  has  become  a flourishing 
British  settlement,  with  its  resident  lieutenant  governor  and 
staff  of  officers  ; and  the  amount  of  imports  and  exports,  which 
are  already  considerable,  is  constantly  increasing.  Since  life 
and  property  became  more  secure  under  British  rule,  the 
natives  of  different  tribes  have  flocked  to  the  island  for  the 
sake  of  legitimate  trade  and  commerce ; a number  of  respect- 
able houses  have  been  erected  by  European  and  native  mer- 
chants, and  the  place  now  presents  a lively  and  prosperous 
appearance,  nothwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  climate  is  of  the 
same  unhealthy  character  as  that  which  distinguishes  most  of 
the  settlements  in  Western  Africa. 

The  population  of  Lagos  and  the  neighbouring  native  towns, 


Western  Africa.  2 1 9 

both  in  the  Yoruba  and  Popo  countries,  is  of  a similar  character 
to  that  which  is  found  on  other  parts  of  the  coast.  Perhaps  it 
became  somewhat  more  mixed  several  years  ago,  by  the  emigra- 
tion from  Sierra  Leone  of  a large  number  of  liberated  Africans, 
who  ventured  thus  to  return  to  the  countries  from  which  they 
had  been  dragged  as  poor  slaves,  when  they  heard  that  the 
slave  trade  was  abolished.  Some  of  these  emigrants  had  the 
happiness  to  find  parents,  brothers,  sisters,  or  other  relatives 
and  friends  still  living,  who  received  them  as  alive  from  the 
dead;  whilst  others  sought  in  vain  for  any  one  who  could 
recognize  them.  There  were  many  touching  and  affecting 
meetings,  and  great  was  the  surprise  of  the  natives  of  Lagos, 
Abbeokuta,  and  other  places  in  the  Yoruba  and  Popo  countries, 
to  see  the  change  which  had  passed  upon  their  friends  and 
relatives  by  the  residence  of  a few  years  in  a free  British  colony. 
They  all  appeared  decently  clothed  in  European  apparel,  many 
of  them  had  learned  to  read  and  write  in  the  mission  schools, 
and  a few  of  them  had  become  the  happy  partakers  of  the 
great  salvation  which  they  had  heard  proclaimed  in  all  its 
simplicity  and  power,  in  the  land  of  their  exile. 

It  was  the  extensive  emigration  of  civilized  liberated  Africans 
from  Sierra  Leone  to  Lagos,  and  the  neighbouring  towns  in  the 
Yoruba  country,  that  led  to  the  vigorous  efforts  which  are 
now  being  made  by  the  Church  and  Wesleyan  Missionary 
Societies  for  the  evangelization  of  the  natives  of  this  part  of 
Africa.  The  Christian  emigrants  who  had  been  connected  with 
these  organizations  in  Sierra  Leone,  on  reaching  their  destina- 
tion, reported  to  their  respective  ministers  the  state  in  which 
they  found  the  country,  and  earnestly  requested  that  their 
friends  and  countrymen  might  be  favoured  with  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  Gospel  which  had  made  them  so  happy.  These 
appeals  were  cheerfully  responded  to  by  the  parties  concerned, 
and  a work  was  commenced  which  for  prosperity  and  blessing 
has  had  few  parallels  in  the  history  of  missions. 

The  Church  Missionary  Society  was  happy  in  the  selection 
of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Crowther,  an  educated  and  ordained  native 


220 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 

minister,  as  the  leader  of  the  enterprise.  The  history  of  Mr. 
Crowther  is  equal  in  interest  to  any  romance  that  was  ever 
written.  Torn  away  from  his  native  land  and  sold  as  a slave 
when  a mere  boy,  in  1821,  he  was  rescued  from  a slave  ship 
by  a British  cruiser,  with  many  others,  and  taken  to  Sierra 
Leone.  There  he  was  educated  in  the  mission  school ; and, 
discovering  superior  abilities  in  connection  with  early  piety,  he 
was  trained  for  the  Christian  ministry,  and  in  due  time  ordained 
to  the  sacred  office.  In  1841  Mr.  Crowther  accompanied  the 
first  Niger  expedition  in  its  exploration  of  the  mysterious  river, 
when  he  saw  what  a grand  field  of  missionary  labour  was  open- 
ing up  in  the  interior,  to  which  he  resolved  to  devote  his  life. 
He  was  afterwards  appointed  as  a missionary  to  Abbeokuta,  to 
labour  among  the  Sierra  Leone  emigrants  and  others;  and  on 
arriving  at  the  scene  of  his  future  labours,  he  had  the  gratifica- 
tion of  meeting  with  his  aged  mother  and  other  relatives,  after 
a separation  of  five-and-twenty  years  ! 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1864,  Mr.  Crowther  was  further  pro- 
moted, by  being  consecrated  bishop  of  the  Niger  territory  and 
superintendent  of  all  the  stations  in  the  Yoruba  and  adjoining 
countries.  Making  the  island  of  Lagos  his  head-quarters.  Bishop 
Crowther,  assisted  by  a noble  band  of  native  missionaries,  has 
succeeded  in  establishing  stations,  erecting  churches,  and  organi- 
zing Christian  schools,  not  only  in  Lagos  and  Abbeokuta,  where 
the  work  was  first  commenced,  but  also  in  various  towns  and 
villages  in  the  Yoruba  and  Popo  countries,  and  in  several  centres 
of  population  on  the  banks  of  the  Niger.  Finding  the  difficulty 
of  navigating  the  Niger,  and  other  rivers  in  his  extensive  diocese, 
in  canoes  and  similar  small  craft,  he  made  an  effort  when  on  a 
visit  to  England  a few  years  ago,  and  succeeded  in  procuring  a 
small  steamer,  in  which  he  now  visits  his  principal  stations  with 
the  greatest  facility.  According  to  the  last  report,  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  numbers  in  this  diocese  14  stations,  24 
missionaries  (19  of  whom  are  native  ministers),  2081  church 
members,  1494  scholars  in  the  mission  schools,  and  4721 
attendants  on  public  worship. 


Western  Africa. 


221 


The  agents  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  have  been  as 
zealous  and  successful,  in  a somewhat  more  limited  sphere,  as 
those  of  the  Church  of  England,  with  whom  they  have  generally 
lived  and  laboured  in  harmony  and  love.  Among  the  emigrants 
from  Sierra  Leone  there  were  many  Wesleyans  who  preferred 
their  own  ministers,  whilst  the  domain  of  heathendom,  on  every 
hand,  was  sufficiently  extensive  and  populous  to  occupy  the 
agents  of  both  Societies.  At  an  early  period  a commodious 
Wesleyan  mission-house  and  chapel  were  erected  at  Lagos,  where 
the  work  has  progressed  in  a very  satisfactory  manner  from  the 
beginning.  A goodly  number  of  native  converts  have  been 
from  time  to  time  gathered  into  the  fold  of  Christ  and  united 
in  church  fellowship,  some  of  whom  have  been  called  to  make 
known  the  good  news  of  salvation  to  their  fellow-countrymen. 
With  a view  to  provide  more  effectually  for  the  training  of  native 
preachers  and  teachers,  as  well  as  to  give  a better  education  to 
those  who  are  in  a position  to  need  it,  a Wesleyan  high  school 
has  recently  been  erected  and  opened  at  Lagos,  which  promises 
to  be  a most  useful  institution.  Common  day-schools  are  also 
taught  in  connection  with  all  the  out-stations  of  the  Lagos 
circuit,  and  the  Gospel  is  preached  to  the  people  in  two  or 
three  different  languages.  At  Badagry  and  Abbeokuta  the 
work  has  been  somewhat  fluctuating,  owing  to  a want  of  har- 
mony among  the  people,  and  the  constant  wars  and  rumours  of 
wars  which  have  distracted  the  country.  At  Badagry  a beau- 
tiful church  and  mission  premises  were  erected  several  years 
ago,  but  the  work  has  since  languished  for  want  of  labourers. 
At  Ibadu  and  Porto  Novo  a good  beginning  has  been  made, 
and  the  prospect  is  encouraging.  Ahgwey,  Grand  Popo,  and 
other  more  distant  places,  are  opening  up  for  the  reception  of 
the  Gospel ; and  although  Whydah,  the  principal  seaport  of 
the  kingdom  of  Dahomi,  has  been  for  some  time  without  a 
missionary,  in  consequence  of  the  warlike  attitude  of  its  san- 
guinary monarch,  we  are  not  without  hope  that,  ere  long,  the 
whole  country  will  be  permeated  with  the  leaven  of  Christianity. 

The  following  are  the  statistics  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary 


222  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

Society  for  the  Lagos  and  Yoruba  district,  as  gleaned  from  the 
last  report : Number  of  chapels,  12  ; other  preaching  places,  20 ; 
missionaries,  European  and  native,  8 ; full  and  accredited 
church  members,  973;  on  trial  for  membership,  339;  scholars 
in  the  mission  schools,  1558;  attendants  on  public  worship, 

3203- 


Liberia. 

An  extensive  district  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  between 
Sierra  Leone  and  Cape  Coast  Castle,  received  the  name  of 
Liberia,  from  the  circumstance  of  its  being  colonized  by 
liberated  slaves  and  free  persons  of  colour  from  America. 
Under  the  auspices  of  a colonization  society,  organized  in 
Baltimore,  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  providing  a home  in  a 
foreign  land  for  the  class  of  persons  just  mentioned,  the  first 
party  of  settlers  proceeded  to  Africa  in  the  year  1822.  Cape 
Mesurado,  in  latitude  6°  18'  north,  was  first  purchased  from 
the  natives,  and  the  plan  of  a town,  afterwards  called  Monrovia, 
was  formed ; and  as  fresh  emigrants  arrived,  additional  tracts 
of  country  were  purchased  for  their  accommodation.  In  1836 
a similar  settlement  was  formed  at  Cape  Palmas;  but  in  1856 
they  were  united,  and  at  length  the  settlement  extended  along 
the  coast  a distance  of  600  miles — from  Grand  Cape  Mount  to 
•he  Gulf  of  Guinea.  The  majority  of  the  early  settlers  were 
men  of  steady,  industrious  habits,  and  decided  piety,  belonging 
to  different  Christian  denominations ; and  they  set  about  the 
cultivation  of  the  ground  and  the  preparation  of  homes  for 
themselves  and  their  families  in  their  adopted  country,  in  a 
manner  which  augured  well  for  the  success  of  the  enterprise. 
Their  just,  humane,  and  benevolent  policy  was,  moreover,  said 
to  have  given  them  astonishing  influence  over  the  native  tribes, 
and  the  settlement  was  commenced  under  favourable  and 
promising  circumstances. 

Although  thus  commenced  by  emigrants  from  America, 
Liberia  was  not  an  American  colony,  properly  speaking,  but 
a small  republic  or  commonwealth,  after  the  model  of  the 


Western  Africa. 


223 


United  States,  and  entirely  independent  of  the  parent  country 
politically,  although  receiving  important  moral  and  material 
aid  from  it  in  different  ways,  when  necessary.  Accordingly, 
a constitution  and  laws  were  framed  for  the  government 
of  the  settlement,  provision  being  made  for  the  election  of  a 
president,  members  of  the  house  of  representatives,  and  other 
public  functionaries.  Of  course,  the  difficulties  connected 
with  the  founding  of  this  infant  nation  were  neither  few  nor 
small,  and  some  errors  may  have  been  made  at  an  early  period 
of  the  undertaking;  but  notwithstanding  every  drawback,  in 
all  fairness  it  must  be  said  that  the  enterprise  succeeded  better 
than  could  have  been  expected,  all  things  being  considered. 
As  the  number  of  settlers  increased,  townships  were  laid  out, 
farms  cultivated,  towns  and  villages  planned,  and  buildings 
erected  in  some  of  them  which  were  very  creditable  to  a rising 
community. 

The  soil  of  Liberia  is  reported  to  be  extremely  fertile,  and 
well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  all  kinds  of  tropical  produce. 
Cotton,  coffee,  indigo,  and  the  sugar-cane  thrive  well ; and 
rice,  Indian  corn,  Guinea  corn,  millet,  and  various  kinds  of 
fruits  and  vegetables  are  cultivated  with  ease  and  success. 
Cattle,  sheep,  goats,  swine,  fowls  and  ducks,  are  said  to  thrive 
well  with  little  feeding,  and  to  require  no  other  care  than  to 
keep  them  from  straying.  The  climate,  however,  partakes  of 
the  same  sickly  character  as  that  of  other  parts  of  the  coast, 
and  during  some  seasons  many  have  fallen  a sacrifice  to  its 
fatal  influence.  The  emigrants  from  America  of  African  descent, 
both  black  and  coloured,  have  to  undergo  a regular  “seasoning,” 
the  same  as  the  whites ; but  they  sooner  become  acclimatized, 
and  ere  long  seem  quite  at  home  in  their  adopted  country. 

The  character  of  the  population  of  Liberia  has  already  been 
indicated,  so  far  as  the  American  settlers  are  concerned,  who 
are  said  to  number  about  20,000 ; and  when  it  is  stated  that  a 
considerable  number  of  the  aborigines  from  the  neighbouring 
friendly  tribes  have  become  incorporated  with  these  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  settlement,  to  the  number  of  about  200,000, 


224 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


a tolerable  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  kind  of  material  that  the 
Christian  people  and  philanthropists  of  Europe  and  the  United 
States  had  to  operate  upon  when  they  commenced  their 
evangelistic  work  in  the  new  settlement.  As  already  intimated, 
in  almost  every  party  of  emigrants  that  went  out  there  were 
some  professing  Christians,  and  among  them  were  a few  who 
were  preachers  and  teachers,  who  did  their  best,  during  the 
passage  and  on  their  arrival  at  their  destination,  to  instruct 
and  benefit  others;  and  as  the  population  increased,  more 
direct  and  systematic  efforts  were  made  in  this  direction 
by  the  appointment  of  missionaries  entirely  devoted  to  the 
work. 

The  first  direct  and  systematic  efforts  made  for  the  spiritual 
benefit  of  the  inhabitants  of  Liberia  of  which  we  have  any 
notice  were  those  of  the  Basle  German  Missionary  Society, 
who  in  1827  sent  out  three  missionaries — namely,  Messrs. 
Handt,  Sessing  and  Hegele — to  commence  the  work.  They 
had  all  spent  about  three  years  in  the  missionary  institution 
at  Basle,  and  were  ordained  at  Auggen,  in  the  Grand  Duchy 
of  Baden.  They  were  sent  over  to  spend  a few  months  in 
England  previous  to  their  embarkation  for  Africa,  in  order  to 
improve  their  acquaintance  with  the  English  language.  As 
the  ship  in  which  they  had  taken  their  passage  was  preparing 
to  leave  Plymouth,  a block  fell  from  the  rigging  and  struck 
Mr.  Hegele’s  head,  hurting  him  so  much  that  he  was  obliged 
to  be  taken  on  shore  for  surgical  aid.  In  the  meantime  the 
vessel  sailed;  but  on  his  recovery  the  wounded  missionary 
proceeded  on  his  voyage  by  another  ship,  and  joined  his 
brethren  in  Liberia  a few  months  afterwards.  This  was  the 
first  of  a series  of  disasters  which  befel  this  mission,  involving 
the  sickness  and  death  of  some  of  the  missionaries.  Other 
agents  were  subsequently  sent  out  by  the  same  Society ; but 
after  years  of  severe  affliction  and  almost  fruitless  labour,  they 
withdrew  to  the  Gold  Coast,  and  the  work  in  Liberia  was 
henceforth  left  entirely  to  American  missionaries  of  different 
denominations,  who  were  sent  out  in  considerable  numbers,  and 


Western  Africa.  225 

who  have  laboured  for  many  years  with  a pleasing  measure  of 
success. 

The  American  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  reports  24  prin- 
cipal stations,  occupied  by  1 1 clerical  and  1 7 lay  agents  (all  men 
of  colour),  with  453  church  members,  and  658  scholars  in  the 
mission  schools.  The  missionaries  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  are  28  in  number,  with  15  lay  agents,  two  only  of  whom 
are  white  men.  They  occupy  31  principal  stations,  and  report 
2065  church  members,  with  450  scholars  in  the  schools.  The 
American  Presbyterians  number  8 stations,  6 missionaries,  4 
lay  agents  and  300  church  members ; and  the  American 
Baptists,  according  to  the  last  report,  employ  14  missionaries 
and  16  lay  agents — but  the  other  statistics  are  not  given.  Much 
zeal  and  perseverance  have  been  displayed  in  connection  with 
all  these  Christian  agencies,  and  the  result  is  seen  in  the 
parsonages,  places  of  worship,  colleges  and  school  buildings 
which  have  been  erected  in  most  of  the  towns  and  villages  in 
the  settlement,  and  in  the  improved  morals  of  the  people, 
which  will  compare  favourably  with  those  of  many  other 
Christian  countries,  and  which  augur  well  for  the  future 
prosperity  of  Liberia. 

Senegal. 

From  an  early  period  the  French  have  had  several  settle- 
ments on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  the  principal  of  which 
is  on  the  island  of  St.  Louis  in  the  river  Senegal,  about  nine 
miles  from  its  mouth,  in  latitude  16°  north  and  longitude  16° 
west.  It  was  taken  by  the  English  in  1758,  and  in  the  time  of 
the  American  war  it  was  recovered  by  the  French,  and  afterwards 
confirmed  to  them  by  treaty.  The  island  itself  is  small  and 
unattractive,  and  the  buildings  erected  upon  it,  consisting  of  a 
fort,  government  ofiice.s,  Roman  Catholic  church,  hospital, 
barracks,  and  a few  dwelling-houses  and  native  huts,  are  not 
remarkable  for  neatness  or  elegance.  The  place  is,  nevertheless, 
of  considerable  importance  as  the  centre  of  an  extensive  trade 
with  the  interior,  the  staple  articles  of  which  are  gum,  ivory, 

IS 


226 


Africa  : Past  and  Present, 


gold,  beeswax,  ground-nuts  and  hides,  which  the  merchants 
receive  for  European  goods  instead  of  slaves  as  formerly. 
The  soil  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  colony  is  light  and 
sandy;  but  in  favourable  seasons  it  is  cultivated  with  advantage, 
and  various  kinds  of  tropical  fruits  and  vegetables  are  brought 
to  market  by  the  natives  and  sold  at  moderate  prices. 

The  next  French  settlement  worthy  of  notice  as  a dependency 
of  Senegal  is  Goree,  a romantic  little  island  situated  between 
the  mouths  of  the  Senegal  and  the  Gambia,  in  latitude  14°  30' 
north  and  longitude  17°  20'  west,  only  about  a mile  distant 
from  the  mainland,  near  Cape  Verd.  It  has  been  successively 
possessed  by  the  Dutch,  English,  and  French ; but  it  has  been 
occupied  by  the  last-named  power  since  1816,  when  the 
English  removed  to  the  Gambia.  On  a sandy  point,  at  the 
foot  of  a rocky  eminence,  stands  the  town,  which  contains  some 
good  buildings,  including  government  offices,  hospital,  and 
Romish  church.  Towering  above  the  whole  may  be  seen  the 
fort  of  St.  Michael,  ready  to  frown  upon  any  assailant  who 
may  dare  to  approach.  A considerable  trade  is  carried  on 
with  the  natives  on  the  mainland,  who  are  chiefly  Jalloffs. 
The  articles  of  native  produce  which  are  collected  from  different 
places  in  the  interior,  for  barter  with  the  merchants  at  Goree, 
are  of  the  same  kind  as  those  which  are  brought  to  St.  Louis 
on  the  Senegal,  and  the  settlements  are  in  many  respects  similar 
to  each  other. 

The  French  also  claim  a small  settlement  or  trading  establish- 
ment called  Jelifree,  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  river  Gambia, 
a few  miles  above  the  island  of  St.  Mary ; but  it  has  always 
been  a subject  of  dispute  and  misunderstanding,  the  English 
merchants  and  government  authorities  at  Bathurst  maintaining 
that  the  Gambia,  with  all  its  settlements,  appendages,  and 
privileges,  was  ceded  to  the  English  by  the  French  when 
Goree  was  given  up  to  the  last-named  power.  \ few  years 
ago,  earnest  efforts  were  made  by  the  French  to  get  the  British 
settlements  at  the  Gambia  entirely  into  their  possession,  in  ex- 
change for  some  other  small  unimportant  settlements  which  they 


TMR  ist.ANP  OF  GOKHF,.  [Pa^e  226. 


Western  Afyica,  227 

claimed  nearer  Sierra  Leone,  and  the  British  Government  at 
one  time  seemed  disposed  to  regard  the  proposal  with  favour : 
but  the  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  merchants  at  the  Gambia 
and  their  friends  in  England  was  so  strong  and  persistent,  that 
the  scheme  was  at  length  relinquished.  The  French  have  also 
small  settlements  at  Portendick  and  other  places  lower  down 
the  coast,  but  they  seem  ambitious  to  have  more.  In  1879 
they  took  summary  possession  of  a trading-place  at  Matacong, 
near  Sierra  Leone ; but  the  English,  who  had  several  years 
previously  purchased  the  place  from  the  paramount  chief  of  the 
country,  disputed  their  right,  and  they  were  obliged  to  retire. 

At  all  the  French  settlements  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa, 
Roman  Catholicism  is  predominant ; and,  led  away  with  the 
gaudy  display  of  the  ceremonials  of  that  system  of  religion,  a 
considerable  number  of  the  simple-minded  natives  in  some 
places  have  been  induced  to  embrace  it,  although  they  seem  to 
understand  little  or  nothing  of  its  dogmas.  We  are  not  aware 
that  any  systematic  effort  has  been  made  at  any  of  the  above- 
named  places  for  the  propagation  of  Protestant  Christianity, 
with  the  exception  of  the  settlement  on  the  Senegal,  to  which 
we  believe  two  missionaries  were  sent  some  time  ago  by  the 
Paris  Evangelical  Missionary  Society ; but  with  what  results  we 
have  not  heard. 


Fernando  Po. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  important  islands  on  the  western 
coast  of  Africa  is  Fernando  Po,  and  it  enjoys  many  advantages 
from  its  peculiar  position.  It  is  situated  in  the  Gulf  of  Guinea, 
about  seventy  miles  from  the  coast  of  Benin,  in  latitude  3°  30' 
north  and  longitude  8°  45'  east.  It  is  thirty  miles  long  and 
twenty  broad;  and  in  its  general  aspect  it  is  rugged  and 
mountainous  in  the  extreme,  some  of  the  peaks  rising  to  the 
height  of  3000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Fernando  Po 
nominally  belongs  to  Spain ; but  for  a long  time  it  remained 
unoccupied  by  any  European  power,  vessels  of  any  nation 
putting  in  there  for  supplies  of  wood  and  water  as  the  masters 


228 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


felt  disposed.  From  its  elevation,  and  other  favourable  circum- 
stances, it  was  thought  at  one  time  that  it  would  prove  a more 
healthy  situation  than  any  place  on  the  neighbouring  coast,  and 
in  1827  a British  settlement  was  formed  upon  it  by  an  amicable 
arrangement  with  the  Spanish  government.  The  experiment, 
however,  in  the  first  instance,  resulted  in  disappointment.  Of 
thirty  European  settlers  sent  out,  nineteen  died  in  the  course 
of  a few  months,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  fill  government 
situations  as  much  as  possible  with  intelligent  natives  from 
Sierra  Leone  and  other  settlements  on  the  continent. 

Although  there  are  some  fertile  valleys  between  the  moun- 
tains, and  several  promising  tracts  of  land  along  the  shore,  the 
ground  at  Fernando  Po  has  never  yet  been  extensively  cultivated, 
nor  its  natural  resources  put  to  the  test.  The  island  has  been 
used  chiefly  as  a place  of  rendezvous  for  British  cruisers  and 
mercantile  ships  trading  along  the  coast.  In  this  way  it  was 
very  useful  and  convenient  to  the  Niger  Expedition  in  1841,  and 
on  various  other  occasions,  when  a considerable  number  of 
English  men-of-war  were  stationed  on  the  coast  When  the 
slave  trade  was  driven  from  this  part  of  the  continent,  and  the 
number  of  British  cruisers  was  reduced,  the  island  of  Fernando 
Po  became  of  less  importance  to  England,  and  the  Spanish 
government  wishing  to  occupy  the  place,  it  was  handed  over 
to  them  according  to  agreement  It  has  ever  since  been  a 
Spanish  settlement,  although  the  port  has  been  open  to  vessels 
of  all  nations  as  before. 

The  principal  town  of  Fernando  Po,  and  the  site  of  the 
settlement,  was  called  Clarence  by  the  English;  but  it  is 
designated  Santa  Isabel  by  the  Spanish,  and  is  situated  on 
the  north  side  of  the  island.  It  is  occupied  by  government 
officials  and  a few  troops  from  Europe,  and  by  a considerable 
number  of  natives  of  various  tribes  from  different  parts  of  the 
neighbouring  coast,  who  have  come  here  to  ply  their  respective 
vocations,  and  to  get  a living  as  best  they  can.  The  aborigines 
of  the  island,  called  Boobies,  are  represented  as  a wild,  savage 
race,  who  occupy  villages  composed  of  rude  native  huts  in  the 


Western  Africa. 


229 


fastnesses  of  the  mountains,  and  seldom  venture  into  the 
settlement,  unless  it  be  to  beg  rum  and  tobacco.  The  native 
population  is  said  to  have  been  increased  from  time  to  time 
by  renegade  slaves  and  criminals  who  have  fled  from  the 
mainland  and  taken  refuge  in  the  wild  mountains  of  the  island. 

Among  the  settlers  and  aborigines  of  Fernando  Po  some 
really  useful  missionary  work  has  been  done  at  different  times, 
which  deserves  a passing  notice.  The  first  in  the  field  were 
the  agents  of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  who  commenced 
a station  at  Clarence,  and  laboured  for  several  years  among  the 
settlers  of  all  classes  with  very  pleasing  results,  whilst  the  English 
had  possession  of  the  island.  But  when  Fernando  Po  was 
given  over  to  the  Spaniards,  Roman  Catholicism  was  proclaimed 
to  be  the  established  religion  of  the  settlement ; and  the  harsh- 
ness and  persecution  with  which  the  Baptist  missionaries  were 
treated  by  the  government  authorities  issued  in  their  removal 
to  the  continent,  and  the  mission  was  relinquished.  In  1870 — 
some  improvement  having  taken  place  in  the  policy  of  the 
Spanish  government — the  Primitive  Methodists  were  induced 
to  commence  a mission  in  Fernando  Po,  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Burnett  and  Roe  being  the  first  missionaries  sent  out.  They 
and  their  successors  laboured  for  several  years  very  successfully, 
both  at  the  principal  station  at  Santa  Isabel  and  on  the  out- 
stations  which  were  formed  in  the  interior  of  the  island  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Boobies.  Societies  were  formed  of  hopeful 
converts,  and  of  persons  from  the  continent  who  had  received 
good  at  other  mission  stations,  and  all  was  going  on  well, 
when  in  1879,  in  consequence  of  some  misunderstanding,  the 
missionaries  were  again  banished  from  the  island.  An  appeal 
was  at  once  made  to  the  home  authorities,  both  English  and 
Spanish,  and  in  the  course  of  a few  months  the  missionaries 
were  allowed  to  return : the  result  remains  to  be  seen. 

Meanwhile  it  is  pleasant  to  notice  that  a good  work  is  being 
carried  on  by  various  missionary  societies  on  the  mainland, 
immediately  opposite  Fernando  Po,  in  the  Bight  of  Benin, 
among  native  tribes  where  no  regular  European  settlements 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


230 

i 

exist.  The  Baptists  had  a prosperous  mission  on  the  banks 
of  the  Cameroons  before  they  were  driven  from  Fernando  Po, 
and  since  then  their  work  has  been  considerably  extended. 
They  now  employ  eight  missionaries,  three  of  whom  are  native 
Africans,  besides  two  lay  agents.  They  number  113  Church 
members  and  70  scholars  in  the  mission  schools.  These 
figures  give  but  a faint  idea  of  the  results  of  this  mission,  as  a 
large  amount  of  preparatory  work  has  been  done  in  the  way  of 
translating  the  Scriptures  into  the  language  of  the  people,  and 
in  instructing  the  natives  in  the  arts  of  civilized  life,  which  can 
scarcely  fail  to  be  productive  of  much  good  in  time  to  come. 
A new  mission  has,  moreover,  been  sent  out  from  the  Cameroons 
to  the  distant  interior  on  the  banks  of  the  Congo,  which  promises 
much  good  to  that  country. 

The  United  Presbyterians  of  Scotland  have  some  important 
stations  a little  higher  up  the  coast,  on  the  Old  Calabar.  On 
these  seven  missionaries  are  usefully  employed,  besides  forty-one 
lay  agents.  The  number  of  native  converts  reported  as  united 
in  church  fellowship  is  140,  and  687  scholars  are  receiving 
instruction  in  the  mission  schools.  Amid  many  difficulties 
this  work  has  been  carried  on  for  several  years ; and  although 
the  results  are  not  large,  as  seen  by  mortal  eyes,  the  way  has 
been  prepared,  in  many  respects,  for  a still  wider  diffusion  of 
the  Gospel  in  the  near  future. 

The  American  Presbyterians  have  also  prosperous  missions 
lower  down  the  coast,  at  Corrico  and  Gaboon,  on  the  equator. 
They  report  seven  missionaries  and  twenty-four  lay  agents  as 
busily  at  work  on  their  respective  stations.  The  number  of 
native  converts  united  in  Church  fellowship  is  133,  and  125 
children  are  receiving  instruction  in  the  mission  schools.  These 
are  but  the  small  beginnings  of  a work  which  it  is  hoped  will, 
in  time  to  come,  spread  itself  all  along  the  coast  and  far  away 
into  the  distant  interior.  Were  men  and  means  available,  there 
appears  nothing  to  prevent  the  universal  spread  of  the  Gospel 
in  Western  Africa,  the  people  being  everywhere  willing  to  listen 
to  the  simple  proclamation  of  Divine  truth. 


TOUT  AND  SMII'I'lNc;  AT  IIIK  MOl'l  M IM  THE  (iAliOON,  |/’nV<’?TO. 


Western  Africa,  231 

Angola. 

Angola  is  the  name  given  to  an  extensive  territory  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  lying  somewhat  between  the  western  and 
southern  portions  of  the  great  continent,  but  generally  classed 
with  the  former,  and  reaching  from  the  equator  to  15° 
south  latitude.  This  comprehensive  term,  in  geographical 
parlance,  is  generally  understood  to  comprehend  a number  of 
Portuguese  settlements  widely  separated  from  each  other,  but 
possessing  many  features-  in  common,  known  as  Angola  Proper, 
Congo,  Loando,  and  Benguela.  Portuguese  writers  relate  that 
this  vast  region  was  originally  divided  into  seventeen  provinces; 
eleven  of  which,  in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  became 
subject  to  the  king  of  Portugal ; also  that  they  found  the 
aborigines  of  the  country  a -wretched  cannibal  race,  preferring 
for  food  the  flesh  of  man  to  that  of  animals,  and  always  sacri- 
ficing human  victims  at  their  funerals, — practices  to  which  some 
of  the  southern  tribes  are  said  to  be  still  addicted. 

All  the  settlements  of  Angola  were  in  their  heyday  of  pros- 
perity during  the  reign  of  the  slave  trade.  Indeed,  the  life  and 
vigour  of  the  Portuguese  colonies  were  maintained  by  this 
horrid  traffic  in  human  beings.  Nor  did  it  abate  in  any 
considerable  degree  when  the  slave  trade  was  abolished  by 
Great  Britain.  It  was  for  some  time  rather  increased,  being 
concentrated  in  these  southern  regions  when  it  was  prohibited 
on  the  northern  portions  of  the  coast.  It  is  said  that  for 
several  years  no  fewer  than  40,000  negroes  were  annually 
shipped  from  these  Portuguese  ports  alone,  chiefly  to  the  Brazils 
and  the  Spanish  West  Indies.  When  the  slave  trade  was  at 
length  declared  to  be  piracy,  and  those  engaged  in  it-  were 
subject  to  severe  punishment,  by  a solemn  compact  between 
Great  Britain  and  other  European  powers,  the  traffic  declined 
somewhat,  as  it  could  now  only  be  conducted  in  a stealthy  and 
clandestine  manner.  As  the  British  cruisers  employed  on  the 
coast  for  the  express  purpose  of  putting  down  the  slave  trade 
succeeded  in  capturing  Portuguese  and  Spanish  slavers,  and  in. 


232 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


liberating  thousands  of  the  poor  captives,  from  time  to  time, 
a still  further  check  was  given  to  the  abominable  traffic,  till  it 
ultimately  disappeared  almost  entirely  from  the  western  coast. 
From  that  time  the  Portuguese  settlements  of  Angola  and 
Benguela  have  declined  very  much,  legitimate  commerce  with 
the  natives  being  somewhat  limited,  and  agriculture  being  but 
little  practised. 

The  Portuguese  settlements  of  Western  Africa  present  to  the 
view  of  the  traveller  who  happens  to  visit  them  the  appearance 
of  decay  and  neglect.  Lands  naturally  fertile  and  productive 
are  allowed  to  remain  uncultivated ; buildings  originally  com- 
modious and  handsome  are  out  of  repair  ; and  the  inhabitants, 
both  European  and  native,  seem  destitute  of  energy,  life,  and 
spirits.  The  most  respectable  towns  and  settlements  are  those 
of  Loando  and  Benguela,  where  there  are  some  good  Roman 
Catholic  churches  and  other  public  buildings,  and  where  there 
is  more  trade  carried  on  than  at  most  of  the  other  places. 
From  the  accounts  given  by  the  travellers  Livingstone,  Stanley, 
and  Cameron,  who  passed  through  some  parts  of  this  territory, 
the  country  is  possessed  of  vast  resources,  which  might  be 
turned  to  good  account  if  the  Portuguese  colonists  possessed 
the  requisite  energy  to  promote  their  development. 

We  are  not  aware  that  any  means  are  being  employed  for  the 
moral  and  social  elevation  of  the  native  tribes  of  this  part  of  the 
African  continent.  When  the  Portuguese  first  arrived  in  the 
country  to  commence  their  settlements,  the  Romish  priests  who 
accompanied  them  were  very  zealous,  in  their  way,  for  the 
interests  of  their  Church,  and  they  not  only  ministered  to  their 
fellow-countrymen,  the  colonists,  but  laboured  also  to  bring 
over  the  natives  to  the  profession  of  Christianity.  Having 
gained  their  good-will  by  trifling  presents,  and  by  gaudy  pro- 
cessions, resembling  their  own  heathen  ceremonies,  they  got 
them  to  consent  to  become  Christians,  and  baptized  them  by 
hundreds  at  a time.  We  read  of  as  many  as  20,000  native 
converts  obtained  in  this  way,  between  the  years  1580  and 
1590.  Misunderstandings  afterwards  occurred,  which  resulted 


Western  Africa. 


233 


in  the  banishment  of  the  priests  from  most  of  the  stations  which 
they  had  formed  in  the  interior;  and  when  Captain  Tuckey 
visited  this  country,  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  to 
explore  the  river  Congo,  so  completely  had  the  effects  of  these 
early  Romish  missionary  labours  been  obliterated,  that  he  did 
not  find  the  slightest  vestige  or  recollection  of  Christianity 
remaining  among  the  natives. 

From  what  we  know  of  the  native  tribes  inhabiting  the 
interior  of  this  portion  of  the  vast  continent,  we  have  reason 
to  believe  there  is  a fine  field  for  missionary  labour  among 
them.  Nor  can  we  think  that  the  pure  Gospel  seed  of  the 
kingdom  sown  in  faith  would  be  allowed  to  perish,  as  did 
the  chaff  in  former  days ; for  Jehovah  Himself  hath  said, 
“ As  the  rain  cometh  dowm,  and  the  snow  from  heaven,  and 
returneth  not  thither,  but  watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it 
bring  forth  and  bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower  and 
bread  to  the  eater;  so  shall  My  word  be  that  goeth  forth 
out  of  My  mouth : it  shall  not  return  unto  Me  void,  but  it 
shall  accomplish  that  which  I please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in 
the  thing  whereto  I sent  it”  (Isaiah  Iv.  10,  ii). 


234  Africa:  Past  and  P/esent, 


CHAPTER  VI. 


SOUTHERN  AFRICA. 


General  Description — Mountains,  Rivers,  and  Lakes — Soil,  Productions, 
and  Climate — Native  Tribes  and  Settlers — European  Colonization — 
The  Cape  Colony  : Western  Province — The  Cape  Colony : Eastern 
Province — British  Kaffraria — The  Colony  of  Natal — The  Orange  Free 
State — The  Transvaal— Zululand — Neighbouring  Territories. 


OUTHERN  AFRICA  may  be  said  to  comprise  that  por- 


tion of  the  great  continental  peninsula  which  lies  to  the 
south  of  the  Tropic  of  Capricorn.  It  is  bounded  on  the  east 
by  the  Indian  Ocean,  on  the  w'est  by  the  Atlantic,  on  the  north 
by  the  imperfectly  explored  regions  of  the  interior,  and  on  the 
south  by  the  stormy  waters  of  the  ocean  which  wash  the 
immediate  shores  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

In  a country  of  such  vast  extent,  being  about  tw'o  thousand 
miles  in  length  and  nearly  the  same  in  breadth,  we  are  not 
surprised  to  find  great  diversity  in  scenery,  soil,  and  climate. 
There  are  some  striking  features,  however,  which  apply  pretty 
generally  to  the  whole  of  this  extensive  and  interesting  portion 
of  the  globe.  Wherever  we  travel  in  Southern  Africa  we  behold 
everything  on  a grand  and  gigantic  scale.  There  is  nothing 
little  or  insignificant  in  the  topography  of  this  country.  Every 
scene  in  nature  corresponds  with  the  magnitude  of  the  con- 
tinent on  which  it  is  found.  The  mountains  generally  rise  to  a 
high  altitude,  and  frequently  stretch  away  in  apparently  intermi- 
nable chains,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  till  they  are  lost  in  the 
dim  distance,  from  w'hich  they  again  emerge  to  the  view  of  the 


Southern  Africa. 


235 


admiring  traveller  as  he  pursues  his  journey.  The  valleys,  the 
rivers,  the  lakes,  and  the  deserts  are  equally  imposing  in  their 
magnitude  and  general  aspect. 

Mountains,  Rivers,  and  Lakes. 

The  principal  mountains  of  Southern  Africa,  of  which  we 
have  any  definite  knowledge,  are  the  Omatako,  Khamisberg, 
Sneewkop,  Piketberg,  Table  Mountain,  Langberg,  Winter- 
berg,  Amatola,  Stromberg,  Cockscomb,  Compassberg,  and  the 
Kolobeng.  Some  of  these  elevated  peaks  belong  to  mountain 
ranges  which  run  nearly  parallel  with  the  coast  on  both  sides 
of  the  continent ; the  principal  of  which  are  the  Zwartbergen, 
Nieuveld,  Dragensberg,  Roggeveld,  and  Quathlarnba  ranges. 
These  are  backed  by  others  of  still  greater  altitude,  concerning 
which  little  is  known,  as  they  stretch  far  away  into  the  unex- 
plored interior,  and  unite  to  form  what  is  technically  called  by 
geologists  the  “ backbone  ” of  Africa,  or  the  grand  “ water- 
shed ” from  which  most  of  the  rivers  wind  their  way  to  the 
mighty  ocean  in  different  directions. 

The  chief  of  these  rivers  are  the  Swakop,  Orange,  Buffel’s, 
Olifant’s,  Berg,  and  the  Zout,  which  run  into  the  Atlantic  ; and 
the  Breede,  Knysna,  Gauritz,  Gamtoos,  Sunday’s,  Buffalo, 
Kowie,  Great  Fish,  Keiskamma,  Great  Kei,  Bashee,  Umtata, 
Umzimvooboo,  Tugela,  and  the  Zambezi,  which  flow  into  the 
Indian  Ocean.  With  the  exception  of  the  Zambezi  and  the 
Breede,  none  of  these  rivers  are  available  for  inland  navigation 
to  any  extent.  It  is  true  that  vessels  may  find  a safe  and  com- 
modious harbour  in  the  mouth  of  the  Knysna,  in  the  district 
of  George  3 but,  so  far  as  it  is  navigable,  this  may  be  regarded 
as  a lagoon  rather  than  as  a river.  Important  harbour  works 
have  for  several  years  been  in  progress  at  the  mouths  of  the 
Kowie  and  the  Buffalo,  on  the  east  coast,  which  it  is  hoped 
will  enable  vessels  of  moderate  draught  to  proceed  some 
distance  up  the  country,  as  well  as  to  discharge  their  cargoes 
at  convenient  wharves.  Indeed,  the  works  at  the  place  first 


236 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


named  have  been  finished  for  some  time,  and  are  found  to 
answer  their  intended  purpose  ; and  those  at  East  London  are 
progressing  rapidly,  under  the  direction  of  Sir  John  Coode. 
The  mouths  of  most  of  the  other  rivers  of  Southern  Africa  are 
blocked  up  with  immense  sand-bars,  which  stretch  from  shore 
to  shore,  and  upon  which  the  waves  of  the  sea  break  with 
fearful  violence.  Some  of  them,  indeed,  are  only  periodically 
supplied  with  water  of  any  considerable  depth,  their  beds  being 
in  many  places  completely  dry  during  the  summer  months.  But 
after  heavy  rains  in  the  winter  season  they  frequently  swell  to 
an  alarming  extent,  and  sweep  away  all  before  them.  Then 
travellers  may  be  seen  with  their  waggons  and  carts,  waiting  on 
the  banks,  day  after  day,  till  the  waters  subside,  before  they  can 
ford  the  streams,  bridges  being  almost  unknown  in  the  interior. 

The  only  great  lakes  which  have  as  yet  been  discovered  in 
this  part  of  the  world  are  Lake  N’gami,  partially  explored  by 
Mr.  Oswell  and  Dr.  Livingstone  in  1846;  the  Lake  N’yassa, 
first  visited  by  the  last-named  enterprising  traveller  in  1861  ; 
and  the  Lakes  N’yanza  and  Tanganyika,  more  recently  explored 
and  described  by  Livingstone,  Stanley,  Cameron,  and  others. 
Some  of  these  are,  in  fact,  great  inland  seas,  being  several 
hundreds  of  miles  in  circumference,  and  studded  with  numerous 
beautiful  islands.  Most  of  these  belong  more  properly  to 
Central  Africa,  and  will  be  further  noticed  in  due  course. 
There  are  many  other  extensive  sheets  of  water  to  be  seen  in 
different  parts  of  the  country,  especially  after  heavy  rains  have 
fallen ; but  these  generally  dry  up  in  the  summer  season  ; and, 
from  the  saline  character  of  the  soil,  the  ground  is  frequently 
encrusted  with  a coat  of  salt,  which  the  natives  collect  and 
turn  to  good  account  as  an  article  of  commerce. 

Soil,  Productions,  and  Climate. 

Extensive  tracts  of  country  in  various  parts  of  Southern 
Africa  frequently  present  the  appearance  of  sterile  wastes. 
This  is  more  especially  the  case  after  long  periods  of  drought. 


Southern  Africa. 


237 


when  everything  is  burnt  brown  with  the  fiery  rays  of  the  sun,  and 
scarcely  a blade  of  green  grass  is  to  be  seen  for  scores  of  miles. 
The  face  of  nature  in  the  same  localities  wears  a very  different 
aspect,  however,  when  refreshing  rains  have  fallen  to  fertilize 
the  earth.  Then  vegetation  is  remarkably  rapid  in  its  growth, 
notwithstanding  the  thin  and  sandy  nature  of  the  soil ; and,  in 
the  course  of  a few  days,  the  whole  landscape  is  delightful  to 
look  upon.  In  the  place  of  dreary  wilds  we  now  behold  smiling 
green  pastures,  studded  with  beautiful  flowers  of  almost  every 
hue,  and  all  creation  seems  to  rejoice  in  the  delightful  change. 
This  circumstance  will  account,  in  part  at  least,  for  the  various 
and  conflicting  accounts  given  by  different  travellers  of  the 
soil  and  scenery  of  the  same  countries,  who  have  passed 
through  them  at  opposite  seasons  of  the  year. 

There  are  vast  regions  of  this  portion  of  the  continent, 
however,  to  which  the  name  of  desert  will  strictly  apply — the 
face  of  the  whole  countr}'  presenting  the  appearance  of  nothing 
but  rugged  rocks  and  plains  of  shifting  sands,  and  where 
gloomy  nature  never  smiles.  In  passing  across  these  dreary 
wastes,  the  way-worn  traveller  may  proceed  on  his  journey 
from  day  to  day  without  meeting  with  a drop  of  water  to 
refresh  himself  or  his  cattle,  and  many  have  perished  in  the 
wilderness  before  relief  could  be  obtained.  To  these  barren 
tracts  of  country  the  natives  have  given  the  name  of  karroos, 
which  signifies  “dryness.”  The  most  extensive  of  these  is 
the  Kalihari,  or  Great  Desert,  north  of  the  Orange  River, 
extending  nearly  1000  miles  in  length,  and  more  than  300 
in  breadth,  between  Great  Namaqualand  and  the  Bechuana 
country.  Nearly  the  whole  west  coast  of  Namaqualand, 
from  Buffel’s  River  to  Walvich  Bay,  may  also  be  called  desert, 
as  it  consists  almost  entirely  of  a succession  of  dreary  sand- 
hills and  barren  wastes,  to  a distance  of  from  thirty  to  forty 
miles  from  the  sea-shore.  There  are,  moreover,  several  smaller 
tracts  of  country  of  a similar  description  within  the  boundaries 
of  the  Cape  Colony,  which  are  very  thinly  inhabited,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  sterile  character  of  the  ground  and  the  great 


238  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

scarcity  of  water.  One  of  these  is  crossed  by  the  main  road 
leading  from  Cape  Town  to  Beauford  West,  and  is  called  by 
way  of  distinction  “ the  Karroo.” 

In  one  respect  the  topography  of  Southern  Africa  differs 
materially  from  that  of  Western  Africa.  The  latter  country  is 
remarkable  for  its  extensive  and  primeval  forests,  which  are 
found  skirting  the  margins  of  the  numerous  rivers  and  crowning 
the  tops  of  the  highest  mountains  ; but  in  the  former  we  may 
travel  for  days  and  weeks  in  succession  without  ever  seeing  a 
tree  larger  than  a gooseberry-bush,  unless  we  meet  with  a few 
straggling  camel-thorns,  or  willows,  scattered  along  the  banks 
of  the  periodical  rivers.  There  are  exceptions,  however,  to 
this  peculiar  feature  in  the  general  aspect  of  the  country.  In 
some  parts  of  Kaffraria,  Natal,  the  district  of  George,  and  in 
other  localities,  forests  of  considerable  extent  are  to  be  found, 
which  afford  an  ample  supply  of  timber  for  building  and  other 
purposes. 

On  viewing  the  wld,  romantic,  and  generally  sterile  character 
of  the  regions  mentioned  above,  the  reader  must  not  conclude 
that  the  whole  country  is  a barren  wilderness.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  actual  deserts,  to  which  special  reference  has  been 
made,  the  most  unfavourable  districts  are  well  adapted  for 
grazing  and  rearing  cattle,  provided  they  have  a wide  range  of 
pasture ; and  on  the  south-eastern  coast  there  are  many  large 
sheep-farms,  where  tens  of  thousands  of  sheep  may  be  seen  in  a 
thriving  condition.  In  the  broad  valleys,  and  on  the  extensive 
plains  between  the  mountains,  the  soil  is  frequently  rich  and 
fertile,  and  well  adapted  for  the  growth  of  various  kinds  of 
grain  and  other  produce.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  many  of 
the  colonial  towns  and  villages  may  be  seen  fruitful  vineyards 
orchards,  gardens,  and  smiling  fields  of  corn,  which  would  bear 
comparison  with  those  of  any  country  in  Europe.  The  greatest 
drawback  to  the  successful  prosecution  of  agricultural  labours  in 
Southern  Africa  is  the  scarcity  of  water,  the  irregularity  of  the 
seasons,  the  long-continued  droughts  which  frequently  occur, 
and  the  natural  indolence  of  the  native  population,  especially 


Southern  Africa,  239 

in  the  more  interior  districts  of  the  country.  These  difficulties, 
it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  be  in  a measure  overcome  in  the  course 
of  time,  by  the  adoption  of  improved  methods  of  irrigation, 
emigration,  and  other  useful  expedients  which  have  been  found 
so  advantageous  in  other  countries.  With  such  improvements 
the  capabilities  of  the  soil  might  be  more  fully  developed,  and 
the  country  at  large  be  made  to  present  stronger  claims  to  the 
attention  of  those  who  find  it  necessary  to  seek  a home  for 
themselves  and  their  families  in  foreign  lands. 

Already  the  natural  and  mercantile  productions  of  Southern 
Africa  are  very  considerable.  The  Cape  Colony  produces  corn, 
wool,  wine,  aloes,  dried  fruit,  hides,  horns,  skins,  and  tallow. 
From  Namaqualand  and  other  parts  of  the  interior  are  brought 
large  quantities  of  cattle,  copper  ore,  ivory,  ostrich  feathers,  and 
the  skins  of  various  kinds  of  wild  animals,  tanned  and  prepared 
for  the  market  with  considerable  skill  by  the  natives.  And  in 
Natal  a promising  commencement  has  been  made  in  the  culti- 
vation of  sugar,  coffee,  arrowroot,  indigo,  and  hemp.  Whilst 
these  and  other  commodities  have  become  staple  articles  of 
export,  butter,  brandy,  and  tobacco  are  manufactured  in  large 
quantities  for  home  consumption.  Vegetables  and  fruit  of 
various  kinds  are  found  in  great  abundance  at  the  Cape,  where  . 
ordinary  attention  is  paid  to  their  cultivation,  and  they  might 
be  obtained  at  a cheaper  rate  everywhere  if  more  care  and 
industry  were  given  to  them.  We  have  potatoes,  cabbages, 
carrots,  peas,  beans,  kanalkoes,  and  the  squash ; also  oranges, 
apples,  pears,  peaches,  loquats,  pineapples,  pomegranates,  and 
quinces,  with  other  vegetables  and  fruits  of  minor  consequence 
in  abundance. 

The  whole  country  offers  a fine  field  for  the  researches  of 
the  naturalist ; and,  although  the  prescribed  limits  of  this  work 
do  not  admit  of  a formal  discussion  of  such  matters,  we  may 
briefly  note  a few  particulars.  In  the  department  of  geology, 
the  stupendous  rocky  mountains  of  granite  and  other  formations 
demand  more  attention  than  they  have  hitherto  received,  not- 
withstanding the  praiseworthy  researches  of  Mr.  Baynes  and 


240 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


others,  who  have  done  something  in  this  line  of  study.  And 
the  numerous  indications  of  iron,  copper,  gold,  and  other  valu- 
able metals  which  appear  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  are 
deserving  of  fuller  investigation.  In  1873  extensive  diamond 
fields  were  discovered  on  the  northern  frontier  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  which  caused  an  immense  rush  of  population  to  that 
part  of  the  country,  and  which  have  been  the  source  of  con- 
siderable wealth  to  many.  It  has  been  stated,  on  good  authority, 
that  diamonds  to  the  value  of  at  least  8,000,000  have  been 
exported  during  the  past  seven  years.  The  copper  mines  of 
Namaqualand  have  also  been  steadily  worked  with  advantage  to 
the  companies  engaged  for  several  years  past,  large  quantities  of 
rich  ore  having  been  shipped  to  England  at  different  times. 

The  botany  of  the  Cape  was  carefully  studied  by  the  late 
Dr.  Pappe,  who  embodied  his  researches  in  an  interesting  work 
entitled  “ Sylva  Capensis,”  in  which  the  reader  may  find  ample 
information  on  this  department  of  science.  In  zoology  much 
remains  to  be  done,  notwithstanding  the  explorations  and  exploits 
of  Mr.  Gordon  Cumming  and  other  celebrated  Nimrods  of 
modern  times.  Many  of  the  wild  animals,  once  so  numerous  in 
the  Cape  Colony,  have  been  exterminated  or  driven  back  before 
the  march  of  civilization.  The  lion,  elephant,  camelopard^ 
rhinoceros,  eland,  and  other  large  animals,  are  found  only  in 
the  remote  interior;  but  the  tiger,  wolf,  jackal,  baboon,  and 
other  troublesome  creatures  of  smaller  size  are  frequently  found 
sufficiently  near  the  homesteads  of  the  settlers  to  be  exceedingly 
annoying.  Various  kinds  of  deer,  differing  in  size  from  the 
gigantic  quagga  to  the  delicate  little  antelope,  are  frequently 
met  with.  Ostriches  are  very  common  in  the  distant  deserts, 
and  they  have  recently  been  domesticated  and  reared  on 
colonial  farms  for  the  sake  of  their  feathers,  which  command 
a good  price  in  European  markets.  The  number  of  domesti- 
cated ostriches  in  the  Cape  Colony  in  1875  was  22,257, 
and  the  value  of  the  feathers  exported  was  ;j£^35o,ooo.  Smaller 
birds  are  to  be  seen  almost  everywhere  in  great  variety, 
from  the  majestic  eagle  to  the  beautiful  little  humming-bird ; 


Southern  Africa.  241 

whilst  reptiles  and  insects  abound  in  varieties  almost  innu- 
merable. 

The  climate  of  Southern  Africa  varies  considerably  in  different 
localities,  but  upon  the  whole  it  may  be  said  to  be  generally 
healthy.  In  confidently  making  this  statement  we  would  not 
have  the  reader  to  conclude  that  it  is  a perfect  paradise,  but 
merely  that  it  is  superior  to  many  other  semi-tropical  countries. 
There  are  numerous  drawbacks  to  health  and  comfort  even  in 
the  Cape  Colony.  The  heat  of  summer  is  frequently  oppressive, 
and  the  storms  of  winter  are  often  violent  and  destructive. 
We  have  seen  half  a dozen  splendid  vessels  driven  on  shore  in 
Table  Bay,  in  the  course  of  a few  hours,  by  the  violence  of  the 
gale  from  the  north-west.  The  south-east  winds,  which  prevail 
in  the  summer  season,  have  no  doubt  a beneficial  effect,  in  a 
sanitary  point  of  view ; but  they  are,  nevertheless,  a source  of 
great  inconvenience  and  discomfort  to  the  inhabitants  during 
their  continuance.  Such  is  the  violence  with  which  they  some- 
times blow,  that  travelling  becomes  not  only  difficult  but  even 
dangerous.  Carriages  are  occasionally  upset  on  the  roads, 
communication  by  boats  with  the  shipping  in  the  bay  is  inter- 
rupted, and  dense  clouds  of  dust  are  whirled  about  in  every 
direction,  the  red  particles  of  which  find  their  way  into  every 
house  and  into  every  crevice  and  corner,  to  the  great  annoyance 
of  the  inmates. 

The  commencement  of  a violent  “ south-easter  ” in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  is  accompanied  by  a singular 
phenomenon.  A large  white  cloud  gathers  around  the  top 
of  Table  Mountain.  This  is  familiarly  known  by  the  people 
as  the  “table-cloth”;  and  when  it  spreads  its  ample  folds 
over  the  rocky  height,  every  one  looks  out  for  the  coming 
gale,  which  never  fails  to  set  in  from  the  south-east.  This  un- 
pleasant wind  sometimes  continues  to  blow  for  a week  or  ten 
days  without  intermission ; and  during  the  whole  time  the  white  ' 
cloud  may  be  seen  hovering  around  the  summit  of  the  mountain. 

Frost  and  snow  are  never  known  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  Cape.  It  is  only  on  the  high  lands  of  the  interior  that 

16 


242  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

the  ground  occasionally  becomes  covered  with  a white  carpet 
in  July  or  August,  the  coldest  months  of  winter;  and  even 
then  it  soon  disappears.  On  the  tops  of  the  highest  moun- 
tains the  snow  sometimes  remains  a little  longer ; but  there 
also  it  is  soon  dissipated  by  the  powerful  rays  of  the  sun, 
and  the  cold  is  never  intense  or  of  long  duration.  There  are, 
liowever,  frequent  and  sudden  changes  in  the  temperature 
of  the  atmosphere,  to  which  may  be  attributed  the  numerous 
ailments  of  a rheumatic  type,  which  are  so  prevalent  among 
all  classes  of  the  people.  Cases  of  pulmonary  consumption 
are  very  rare,  and  the  climate  has  been  found  favourable  to 
persons  of  weak  chests,  when  they  have  availed  themselves  of 
it  before  the  fatal  disease  had  become  actually  developed. 

Native  Tribes  and  Settlers. 

Southern  Africa  is  inhabited  by  people  originally  belonging 
to  various  nations  and  tribes,  of  different  shades  of  complexion, 
and  speaking  different  languages.  Some  of  these  may  be  re- 
garded as  aborigines,  properly  so  called,  whilst  others  have 
come  from  distant  regions,  settled  in  the  country,  and  adopted 
it  as  their  home. 

The  real  aborigines  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  are  undoubt- 
edly the  deeply  degraded  race  called  Hottentots,  whose  origin 
and  early  history  are  involved  in  much  obscurity.  Some 
African  travellers  and  ethnologists  have  expressed  the  opinion 
that,  from  the  resemblance  of  this  singular  section  of  the 
human  race,  in  complexion  and  features,  to  the  Chinese  and  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  they  must  all  have  had  one  common  origin 
and  home;  and  that  the  progenitors  of  the  Hottentot  race 
must,  at  a remote  period,  have  come  from  the  valley  of  the 
Nile,  and,  by  degrees,  have  travelled  the  whole  length  of  the 
continent.  Be  this  as  it  may,  there  is  no  doubt  but  this  tribe 
of  Africans,  like  many  others,  has  undergone  considerable 
change  since  the  country  was  first  visited  by  Europeans. 

The  Hottentots  of  the  Cape  are  generally  short  and  slender 


243 


Southern  Africa. 

in  their  persons,  of  yellowish  complexion,  with  high  cheek- 
bones, short  foreheads,  and  woolly  hair,  thinly  growing  in  short 
knobs,  and  scarcely  covering  the  head.  In  disposition  they 
are  mild  and  timid ; and,  although  deeply  degraded,  they 
are  not  by  any  means  so  stupid  as  some  have  represented 
them  to  be.  They  possess  a tolerable  share  of  native  talent, 
but  they  lack  energy  to  call  it  into  action.  They  are  pro- 
verbially indolent ; and,  in  their  natural  state,  eating  and 
sleeping  appear  to  be  the  objects  of  their  highest  ambition. 
They  are,  nevertheless,  easily  trained  to-  any  kind  of  light 
labour  and  domestic  duties.  They  make  excellent  shepherds 
and  house  servants,  and  are  very  useful  to  the  farmers, 
amongst  whom  they  chiefly  reside.  When  brought  under 
the  influence  of  religion,  they  are  readily  impressed  Avith  the 
truth  ; and  we  have  known  many  of  them:  who  have  not  only 
spoken  the  English  or  Dutch  language  with  tolerable  fluency, 
but  have  learned  to  read  the  Scriptures  for  themselves,  to 
pray  to  God,  and  to  worship  in  His  sanctuary,  with  a 
solemnity  and  decorum  which  might  put  to  shame  many 
professing  Christians  of  other  lands  who  live  in  the  habitual 
neglect  of  these  sacred  duties.  A few  also  from  among  these 
poor  outcasts  have  been  raised  to  the  higher  work  of  teaching 
and  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  their  fellow-countrymen. 

There  are  now  very  few  real  Hottentots  remaining  in  South 
Africa.  They  have,  to  a considerable  extent,  become  amalga- 
mated with  other  native  hordes,  or  with  the  descendants  of  the 
original  Dutch  settlers,  and  form  distinct  classes  of  people  yet 
to  be  noticed.  The  few  who  still  continue  unmixed  with  other 
tribes  are  to  be  found  in  small  detached  settlements,  far  from 
the  abodes  of  civilized  men,  at  the  respective  mission  stations, 
or  in  the  service  of  the  Dutch  Boers.  Perhaps,  properly  speak- 
ing, the  wandering  tribes  of  Bushmen,  found  in  some  parts  of 
the  interior,  are  almost  the  only  representatives  of  the  original 
unmixed  Hottentot  race.  These  are  certainly  the  most  abject 
and  miserable  specimens  of  humanity  that  A\’e  ever  beheld  in 
any  country.  They  are  extremelv  diminutive  in  stature — some 


244 


Afr'ica  : Pa%t  and  Present. 


of  them  standing  not  more  than  three  or  four  feet  high — and 
remarkably  thin  and  haggard  in  their  appearance.  They 
wander  about  in  the  desert,  destitute  of  clothing,  save  a piece 
of  sheepskin  thrown  round  the  waist,  with  their  bows  slung 
behind  them,  and  their  poisoned  arrows  stuck  in  the  hair  of 
their  heads ; and  obtain  a miserable  subsistence  from  the 
uncertain  produce  of  the  chase,  roots  which  they  dig  up  from 
the  ground,  and  the  larvae  of  ants,  with  an  occasional  treat  of 
locusts  and  wild  honey.  Bushmen  never  cultivate  the  ground, 
nor  do  they  possess  cattle,  unless  we  make  an  exception  in 
some  cases  where  a few  goats  may  be  kept  by  them  among 
the  rocks  in  the  wilderness. 

The  Hottentot  language  is  a strange  gibberish,  and  very 
difficult  for  a European  to  learn,  unless  he  is  accustomed  to 
hear  it  spoken  from  his  childhood.  Almost  all  the  mono- 
syllables, and  the  leading  syllables  in  compound  words,  are 
thrown  out  of  the  mouth  with  a sudden  retraction  of  the 
tongue  from  the  teeth  to  the  palate,  and  sound  not  unlike 
the  clucking  of  a hen  with  her  chickens.  These  strange  clicks 
are,  nevertheless,  arranged  according  to  rule,  and  must  occur  at 
the  proper  place,  or  the  sense  of  the  word  is  entirely  spoiled. 
Difficult  as  this  language  is,  it  has,  notwithstanding,  been  re- 
duced to  grammatical  form  by  the  missionaries,  and  portions  of 
Scripture  have  been  translated  into  it;  whilst  at  the  same  time 
the  Gospel  has  been  preached  to  the  people  in  their  own  tongue. 

The  Namaquas,  who  occupy  a large  tract  of  country  on  the 
western  coast  of  South  Africa,  are  evidently  a branch  of  the 
Hottentot  family.  Having  for  generations  past  come  in  con- 
tact, and  to  some  extent  mixed,  with  other  tribes,  they  now 
appear  much  superior  to  the  parent  race  from  which  they  have 
descended.  They  possess  the  same  complexion,  cast  of  counte- 
nance, and  outline  of  feature  ; but  are  taller,  and  more  indepen- 
dent in  their  bearing.  The  Little  Namaquas  resident  wuthin 
the  Cape  Colony  have  generally  become  civilized  by  the 
labours  of  the  missionaries.  They  cultivate  the  ground,  possess 
herds  of  cattle,  waggons,  and  horses ; and  in  the  knowledge  of 


Southern  Africa.  245  ' 

letters,  and  other  branches  of  general  information,  they  have  in 
some  instances  got  in  advance  of  their  neighbours  the  Dutch 
Boers,  who  have  been  sadly  neglected  in  their  education.  In 
Great  Namaqualand,  beyond  the  Orange  river,  the  people  are 
less  advanced,  inasmuch  as  they  have  not  been  favoured  with 
the  same  privileges,  and  occupy  a country  so  sterile  that 
agriculture  is  almost  out  of  the  question.  They  nevertheless 
own  extensive  herds  of  cattle  and  waggons,  with  which  they 
move  about  from  place  to  place,  as  the  state  of  the  pastures 
and  the  seasons  require.  This  interesting  people  are  divided 
into  numerous  petty  tribes,  under  the  leadership  of  separate 
chiefs  or  captains,  who  formerly  directed  and  controlled  all 
their  movements  for  the  grazing  of  their  cattle,  and  in  the 
hunting  expeditions  in  which  they  frequently  engaged ; but  of 
late  years  their  influence  has  been  considerably  diminished, 
since  they  have  been  taken  under  British  protection,  and  a 
government  official  has  been  appointed  to  reside  among  them 
for  magisterial  and  other  purposes. 

The  Korarmas,  another  branch  of  the  Hottentot  family,  re- 
semble the  Namaquas  in  the  leading  features  of  their  character 
and  condition,  and  therefore  do  not  call  for  a separate  descrip- 
tion to  any  great  extent.  They  formerly  lived  in  small  detached 
tribes,  under  separate  petty  chiefs,  in  the  same  manner  as  their 
neighbours  ; but  have  now,  like  them,  been  brought  under 
British  control,  having  an  appointed  government  agent  resident 
among  them  as  magistrate,  with  a salary  of  800  per  annum. 
They  nevertheless  wander  about  with  their  floeks-  and-  hards, 
over  an  extensive  tract  of  country,  lying  between  Griqualand’ 
on  the  east  and  Namaqualand  on  the  west.  It  is  a very  easy 
matter  for  these  people  to  remove  a town  or  a village,  for  they 
can  take  to  pieces  their  spiral-shaped  huts,  made  of  sticks  and 
mats,  in  a few  minutes,  pack  them  on  the  backs  of  their  oxen, 
with  their  other  goods  and  chattels,  and  march  off  to  their  next 
encampment,  when  the  pasturage  for  their  cattle  fails.  Their 
cultivation  is  limited  almost  entirely  to  the  native  tobaccO' plant, 
with  sometimes  a little  maize,  or  a few  pumpkins  and  melons  ; 


246 


Africa  : Past  and  Presetit. 


and  they  subsist  chiefly  upon  the  milk  of  their  flocks,  with  an 
occasional  feast  of  animal  food  taken  from  the  fold  or  procured 
by  the  chase.  My  friend  George  Thompson,  Esq.,  w'ho  travelled 
among  the  Korannas  several  years  ago,  thus  describes  a party 
w'ith  whom  he  met  in  the  wilderness  ; “ They  were  miserable- 
looking  beings,  emaciated  and  lank,  with  the  withered  skin 
hanging  in  folds  on  their  sides ; while  a belt  bound  tight  round 
their  bodies  indicated  that  they  were  suffering,  like  myself,  from 
long  privation  of  food.  I attempted  to  make  them  understand 
by  signs  that  I was  in  w'ant  of  provisions,  and  would  gladly 
purchase  some  ; but  they  replied,  in  a language  which  could 
not  be  misunderstood,  by  shaking  their  heads  and  pointing  to 
the  girdle  of  famine  tied  round  their  stomachs.” 

The  Griquas  are  a mixed  race,  of  Hottentot  descent  on  the 
mothers’  side,  whilst  they  claim  paternal  relationship  originally 
with  the  Dutch  Boers.  They  are  a numerous  and  respectable 
semi-civilized  tribe  of  natives,  and  occupied  an  extensive  tract 
of  country  along  the  northern  bank  of  the  Orange  river,  under 
their  own  independent  chiefs,  until  their  removal  farther  north, 
by  an  arrangement  with  the  British  Government  a few  years  ago, 
to  a region  known  by  the  strange  appellation  of  “ No-man ’s- 
land.”  Under  the  instructions  of  the  missionaries,  the  Griquas 
have  risen  to  a pleasing  state  of  intelligence  and  prosperity ; 
and  they  cultivate  the  ground  with  considerable  care  and 
success,  many  of  the  leading  men  among  them  owming  good 
farms  and  extensive  herds  and  flocks.  A similar  class  of 
people  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  colony,  dispersed 
among  the  farmers,  and  located  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
respective  mission  stations,  known  by  the  uncouth  name  of 
“ Bastards,”  a separate  description  of  whom  is  unnecessary. 

In  addition  to  the  different  tribes  of  people  already  mentioned 
as  being  in  some  measuie  of  Hottentot  descent,  we  have  in  the 
colonial  towns  and  villages  a number  of  coloured  persons,  many 
of  whom  are  truly  intelligent  and  respectable.  In  their  dress 
and  manners  they  imitate  to  a considerable  extent  their  em- 
ployers, as  do  also  the  Griquas  and  Bastards.  They  follow 


Southern  Africa. 


247 


various  branches  of  trade,  and  are  useful  members  of  society. 
Those  who  are  brought  under  the  influence  of  religion  are 
generally  very  active  in  the  cause  of  God,  and  prove  useful 
members  of  the  respective  branches  of  the  Christian  Church 
with  which  they  are  identified. 

But  the  most  numerous  and  powerful  race  of  natives  in 
Southern  Africa  are  the  Kaffirs,  who  are  divided  into  various 
tribes  under  paramount  and  subordinate  chiefs,  and  who  differ 
in  many  respects  from  the  Hottentots  already  described.  The 
name  “ Kaffir  ” is  somewhat  vague  and  indefinite  in  its  signifi- 
cation. In  the  abstract  it  simply  means  “infidel,”  or  “unbe- 
liever ” ; and  in  Mohammedan  countries  it  is  applied  exclusively 
to  all  who  are  not  Mussulmans,  irrespective  of  complexion  or 
nationality.  In  relation  to  Africa,  however,  the  term  has  become 
applicable  of  late  years  to  a race  of  people  inhabiting  the  south- 
eastern coast  of  the  great  continent. 

Very  little  is  known  of  the  origin  and  early  history  of  this 
people.  It  is  generally  admitted,  however,  that  the  country 
which  they  now  occupy  has  not  been  their  home  for  many 
generations,  and  that  they  must  have  originally  come  from  the 
north.  They  are  much  superior,  in  their  personal  appearance, 
and  in  their  mental  qualities,  to  most  of  the  other  African  tribes. 
They  are  thus  described  by  the  traveller  Barrow,  who  had  much 
intercourse  with  them  : “ There  is  perhaps  not  any  nation  under 
heaven  that  can  produce  so  fine  a race  of  men  as  the  Kaffirs. 
They  are  tall,  stout,  muscular,  well-made,  elegant  figures.  Their 
countenance  is  ever  indicative  of  cheerfulness  and  contentment. 
Their  skin,  which  verges  towards  black,  and  their  short  curly 
hair,  are  rubbed  over  with  a solution  of  red  ochre,  which  pro- 
duces an  appearance  far  from  disagreeable.”  The  persons  of 
the  women  are  not  so  handsome.  Accustomed  to  field  labour 
as  well  as  to  domestic  drudgery,  the  females  are  masculine  and 
robust  in  their  appearance,  and  generally  of  short  stature  as 
compared  with  the  men.  The  colour  of  their  eyes  is  sparkling 
jet,  whilst  their  teeth  are  pearly  white  and  remarkably  regular. 
Although  the  Kaffir  is  generally  of  similar  complexion  to  the 


248 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


negro,  he  has  neither  the  thick  lips  nor  flat  nose  which  distin- 
guish the  inhabitants  of  the  higher  regions  of  the  continent. 

A carosse,  or  mantle  of  tanned  skins,  is  the  chief  article  of 
dress  used  by  both  sexes  among  the  Kaffirs.  That  of  the  females 
is  distinguished  by  a thong  of  leather  suspended  from  the 
shoulder,  and  loaded  with  ornaments  of  various  kinds.  In 
addition  to  the  carosse,  the  females  wear  a kind  of  petticoat 
made  of  leather,  and  a small  apron  fringed  with  beads.  Indeed, 
in  common  with  their  sisters  of  other  lands,  they  are  passionately 
fond  of  ornaments  of  all  kinds,  and  we  have  seen  them  literally 
loaded  with  beads  of  various  sizes  and  colours.  They  also  use 
buttons,  buckles,  iron  and  copper  rings,  and  other  trinkets,  for 
the  same  purpose.  The  Kaffir  chief  wears  a carosse  of  tiger  or 
leopard  skin,  a kind  of  garb  which  no  person  of  inferior  rank 
is  allowed  to  assume.  In  addition  to  this  mark  of  royalty  he 
carries,  or  has  carried  before  him  by  a person  appointed  for 
the  purpose,  an  elephant’s  tail,  which  is  equivalent  to  the  royal 
sceptre  in  more  civilised  countries.  Like  most  of  the  other 
natives  of  Southern  Africa,  the  Kaffirs  live  in  huts  formed  of 
sticks  bent  into  a spherical  shape  and  covered  with  rush  matting, 
and  resembling  in  appearance,  when  finished,  huge  beehives. 
These  are  easily  taken  down  and  removed  when  there  is  occa- 
sion for  a kraal  to  change  its  locality. 

As  they  occupy  a country  with  a soil  capable  of  cultivation, 
the  Kaffirs  pay  more  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  than 
many  other  African  tribes.  Whilst  the  men  and  boys  are 
engaged  in  attending  to  the  cattle,  the  women  and  girls  build 
the  huts,  cultivate  the  ground,  manufacture  earthen  pots,  and 
construct  baskets  of  the  Cyprus  grass,  in  which  they  keep  their 
milk  and  other  commodities.  They  plant  a species  of  millet 
known  as  Kaffir  corn  ; also  maize,  kidney  beans,  pumpkins, 
Indian  corn,  water  melons,  and  a few  other  simple  esculents. 
The  native  method  of  preparing  the  ground  for  seed  by  the  use 
of  a wooden  hoe  was  in  former  times  extremely  rude  and  simple, 
but  of  late  years  many  improvements  have  been  introduced  by 
the  missionaries.  When  they  first  beheld  the  plough  in  opera- 


Southern  Africa, 


249 


tion,  they  gazed  at  each  other  with  blank  astonishment.  At  length 
an  old  chief,  recovering  from  his  amazement,  broke  the  silence 
by  exclaiming  with  delight — “ See  how  the  thing  tears  up  the 
ground  with  its  iron  mouth : it  is  of  more  value  than  five  wives !” 

The  food  of  the  Kaffirs,  and  their  mode  of  living,  are  very 
simple.  They  only  take  two  meals  a day,  one  in  the  forenoon 
and  the  other  in  the  evening.  These  consist  chiefly  of  boiled 
corn  and  milk,  with  slight  modifications  according  to  circum- 
stances. They  seldom  eat  animal  food,  except  on  the  occasion 
of  great  festivals ; then  they  consume  an  enormous  quantity, 
and  abandon  themselves  to  a life  of  dissipation  for  several  days 
together.  Kaffir  beer  is  made  with  an  infusion  of  millet  which 
has  undergone  a regular  process  of  drying,  grinding,  boiling, 
and  fermentation,  somewhat  after  the  plan  of  preparing  malt  in 
civilised  countries,  and  is  very  intoxicating.  This  was  their 
principal  drink  at  their  feasts  till  they  became  acquainted  with 
the  white  man’s  more  potent  “ fire-water,”  but  alas  ! now  brandy 
is  frequently  resorted  to.  Tobacco  and  snuff  are  in  high  repute  ; 
the  former  they  smoke  out  of  highly-finished  wooden  pipes,  and 
the  latter  they  convey  to  their  distended  nostrils,  not  with  the 
finger  and  thumb,  which  they  would  consider  quite  vulgar,  but 
with  small  iron  or  ivory  spoons,  which  they  carry  stuck  in  their 
hair  for  the  purpose. 

Those  who  have  been  most  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
various  Kaffir  tribes  have  not  discovered  among  them  any  traces 
of  a religious  system,  properly  so  called,  either  idolatrous  or 
otherwise,  or  any  practices  deserving  of  the  name  of  religious 
rites  and  ceremonies.  The  nearest  approach  to  it  is  the  habit 
of  each  person  throwing  a stone  to  certain  heaps  which  they 
pass  by  the  wayside  when  on  a journey ; but  this  appears  to  be 
done  either  in  memory  of  the  dead,  whom  they  suppose  to  be 
buried  there,  or  with  a superstitious  notion  of  securing  safety 
while  travelling.  Circumcision  is  universally  practised  by  the 
Kaffirs,  but  no  religious  idea  appears  to  be  associated  with  the 
ceremony.  They  have  a vague  notion  of  a Supreme  Being, 
whom  they  call  Uhlanga  or  Utixo,  and  of  a future  state  of 


250 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


existence ; but  they  seem  to  have  no  idea  of  rewards  or  punish- 
ments. They  believe  in  witchcraft,  and  the  rain-makers  and 
witch-doctors  drive  a very  profitable  trade  among  their  deluded 
fellow-countrymen.  Some  of  the  cruelties  practised  in  connec- 
tion with  “ smelling  out  ” and  punishing  the  suspected  witch  are 
awful  to  contemplate,  often  resulting  in  the  innocent  suffering. 

This  brief  description  of  the  appearance,  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  Kaffirs,  will  generally  apply  to  the  bold  and  warlike 
people  who  bear  that  name.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that 
they  exist  in  a great  variety  of  tribes,  under  their  respective 
chiefs,  scattered  over  a vast  extent  of  country,  although  they 
speak  the  same  language  in  dialects  with  shades  of  difference 
one  from  the  other.  We  have  already  some  knowledge  of  the 
following  tribes — viz.,  the  Amakosa  Kaffirs,  including  the  minor 
tribes  of  Gaika,  Slambie,  Gonubi,  and  some  others,  living  in 
British  Kaffraria ; Amagaleka,  beyond  the  Great  Kei ; Ama- 
tembu,  or  Tambookies,  in  Kaffirland  proper ; Amaponda, 
between  the  Bashu  and  the  Umzimeulu;  Amabaxa,  north  and 
east  of  the  latter;  Amalunga,  in  Natal,  and  on  the  northern 
border ; Amazulu,  or  Zulus,  east  of  Natal ; Amazwasi,  near 
Delagoa  Bay ; Amatibile,  south  of  the  Zambesi,  under  Moseli- 
katse ; Amafengu,  or  Fingoes,  once  living  in  a state  of  slavery 
among  other  Kaffir  tribes,  but  freed  by  the  British,  and  now 
settled  on  locations  provided  for  them  in  the  Cape  Colony.  (The 
prefix  in  Kaffir,  signifies  “people”  or  “tribe.”) 

In  addition  to  these,  there  are  other  tribes  of  natives  in  South 
Africa  of  kindred  character  which  might  come  under  the  general 
head  of  Kaffirs,  but  which,  nevertheless,  have  some  shades  of 
difference,  and  consequently  require  a brief  separate  notice. 
We  allude  to  the  tribes  which  speak  the  Sechuana  language, 
which  differs  considerably  from  the  Kaffir  proper,  although  it 
may  perhaps  be  traced  to  the  same  origin.  This  class  includes 
the  Basutus,  north-west  of  the  Maluti  mountains ; the  Bechuanas, 
north  of  the  Orange  river;  and  the  Batelaps,  Bamtwgwatas, 
Bakweins,  Makolola,  etc.,  north  and  west  of  the  Vaal  and  Orange 
rivers.  The  most  intelligent  and  powerful  of  these  tribes  in  the 


Southern  Africa. 


251 


neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  Colony  is  that  of  the  Basutus,  who 
prospered  greatly  under  their  late  paramount  chief  Moshesh. 
By  means  of  the  instructions  and  fostering  care  of  the  mission- 
aries, these  people  have  made  considerable  progress  in  the  arts 
of  civilized  life,  as  well  as  in  religious  knowledge  ; and  the  old 
chief  himself  was  a remarkable  instance  of  native  talent, 
shrewdness  and  sagacity,  although  he  never  formally  embraced 
Christianity.  The  Basutus  have  recently  been  taken  under  the 
protection  of  the  British  Government,  and  bid  fair  to  show  to 
the  world  what  a tribe  of  Africans  can  do  in  the  way  of  self- 
government  and  progress,  when  they  have  proper  inducements 
to  exert  themselves. 

Th«  Damaras  and  Ovampos,  to  the  north  of  Great  Namaqua 
land,  form  another  branch  of  this  extensive  family  of  South 
African  tribes.  These  people  speak  a language  somewhat 
different  to  those  already  mentioned,  and  yet  it  is  no  doubt 
traceable  to  the  same  source. 

Many  of  the  native  tribes  of  Southern  Africa  already  mentioned 
are  of  jet  black  complexion ; and  some  of  them,  as  the  Damaras 
for  instance,  whose  home  is  in  the  far  north,  possess  other 
features  which  distinguish  the  negro  character,  who  nevertheless,  * 
by  affinity  of  language  and  other  peculiarities,  seem  to  claim 
kindred  with  the  Kaffir  race.  A few  individuals  from  these 
remote  regions  find  their  way  to  the  Cape  Colony  in  the  service 
of  African  traders,  and  never  return.  But  in  addition  to  these 
there  are  a considerable  number  of  real  negroes,  the  descendants 
of  those  at  the  Cape  who  have  been  rescued  from  slavers  by 
British  men-of-war,  whilst  cruising  chiefly  off  the  eastern  coast 
in  the  Mozambique  Channel.  These  liberated  Africans  have 
been  brought  to  the  colony  at  different  times,  and  have  found 
employment  as  domestic  servants,  fishermen,  and  field  labourers, 
in  which  capacities  they  have  proved  very  useful  to  the  com- 
munity. They  are  now  found  dispersed  over  various  parts  of 
the  country,  and  many  of  them  have  been  brought  under 
religious  influences,  and  have  become  sober  and  industrious 
citizens. 


252 


Africa : Past  and  Present, 


In  several  of  the  towns  and  villages  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Cape  there  is  also  a numerous  class  of  coloured  people 
called  Malays,  which  deserves  a passing  notice.  Their  origin 
is  to  be  traced  to  an  early  period  of  the  possession  of  the 
Cape  Colony  by  the  Dutch.  The  Cape  being  a convenient 
place  of  call  in  voyages  between  Europe  and  India,  a few 
Dutch  settlers  arrived  there  from  Batavia  as  early  as  1652, 
bringing  their  Malay  servants  with  them.  Slavery  had  existed 
for  some  time  previously  in  Java ; but  it  is  said  that  most  of 
the  natives  of  the  east  who  were  thus  brought  to  South  Africa 
in  the  first  instance  came  as  free  servants,  and  were  treacherously 
registered  as  slaves  on  their  arrival  at  the  Cape,  to  their  great 
consternation.  Be  this  as  it  may,  there  is  no  doubt  but  the 
number  of  Malays  was  subsequently  increased  by  additional 
importations,  at  different  times  and  under  various  circumstances. 
Government  documents  of  the  date  of  1710  record  the  intro- 
duction of  convicts  from  Java  and  Ceylon;  and  a number  of 
names  are  given  of  persons  under  the  sentence  of  banishment 
for  their  offences,  some  of  whom  were  afterwards  pardoned,  and 
intermixed  with  this  class  of  the  inhabitants.  Again,  in  1737 
and  in  1749,  a number  of  Malays  of  distinction  were  sentenced 
to  exile,  and  brought  from  Java  to  the  Cape  Colony  as  state 
prisoners,  who  on  being  set  at  liberty  mixed  with  their  fellow- 
countrymen  as  others  had  done  before  them. 

From  these  sources,  with  the  occasional  arrival  of  Malay 
slaves  with  their  Dutch  masters  from  the  east,  the  present  race 
of  Malays  has  sprung ; and  being  all  rigid  Mohammedans, 
they  have  clung  together,  intermarried  with  each  other,  and 
now  form  a distinct  class  of  people,  notwithstanding  the  shades 
of  difference  in  their  complexion,  social  position  and  national 
origin.  A large  portion  of  them  were  in  a state  of  bondage,  in 
common  with  other  black  and  coloured  inhabitants  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  till  the  general  emancipation  throughout  the  British 
empire  in  1838,  when  they  were  all  made  free.  A very  few  of 
the  modern  Malays  are  the  children  of  Java-born  parents,  the 
greater  portion  of  them  having  descended  from  parents  born 


Southern  Africa. 


253 


in  the  colony.  There  are  a few  families  who  pride  themselves 
on  being  Malay-Arabian  in  descent,  whilst  several  more  are 
known  to  be  the  immediate  offspring  of  female  slaves  and  their 
Dutch  masters. 

In  personal  appearance  the  Cape  Malays  differ  from  any 
other  class  of  the  inhabitants.  They  are  generally  of  middle 
stature,  and  of  slight  but  sinewy  frame ; their  eyes  are  small 
and  sparkling;  their  hair  black  and  silky;  their  features  are 
somewhat  compressed,  but  expressive ; whilst  the  face  is 
slightly  elongated  and  oval-shaped.  The  complexion  varies 
from  a yellow  or  light  brown  to  a deep  olive.  The  men  cut 
close  the  hair  of  the  head,  but  allow  the  moustache  and 
beard  to  grow,  trimming  the  latter  into  a peculiar  peaked 
form.  The  head-dress  of  the  Malay  man  is  a small  closely- 
tied  turban  of  crimson  cloth,  sometimes  surmounted  with  a 
broad-brimmed,  conical-shaped  straw  or  palm-leaf  hat;  his 
other  covering  consists  of  a brilliant  neck-scarf,  a vest  of  gay 
colours,  a long  jacket  and  wide  trousers,  with  high-heeled 
clogs  or  sandals.  Some  of  the  priests,  and  all  who  have 
achieved  a pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  assume  the  title  of  haji,  and 
affect  a complete  Oriental  dress  of  Cashmere  shawls,  massy 
turbans,  and  long  flowing  robes  of  printed  cotton  or  silk. 

The  Malay  women  wear  their  hair  in  tresses,  which  are  long, 
black,  and  glossy,  brushed  back  from  the  temples,  and  fastened 
behind  the  head  with  a large  gold  or  silver  bodkin.  Their 
dress,  which  on  gala  days  is  of  silk  or  other  expensive  material 
(but  ordinarily  of  cotton),  differs  from  that  of  European  females 
in  having  a short  body  or  spencer  of  a different  colour  from 
the  wide  flowing  skirt  to  which  it  is  attached.  The  Malay 
ladies  never  wear  bonnets,  hats,  or  other  covering  for  the 
head,  nor  does  a vestige  of  the  Eastern  custom  of  veiling  remain 
with  them.  They  generally  dispense  with  stockings;  but  on 
their  feet  they  wear  ornamental  sandals.  In  the  choice  of 
colours  and  arrangement  they  often  display  considerable  taste 
and  appreciation  of  effect,  their  well-chosen  and  somewhat 
showy  attire  adding  a charm  to  their  personal  graces.  Their 


254  Africa:  Past  arid  Present. 

figures  are  generally  good,  and  their  features  not  devoid  of 
comeliness. 

The  food  of  the  Malays  consists  chiefly  of  fish  and  rice,  but 
occasionally  of  flesh-meat  and  different  kinds  of  vegetables. 
Of  pork,  however,  they  dare  not  partake,  nor  yet  of  any  animal 
which  has  not  been  killed  by  a priest,  who  in  slaughtering 
performs  a certain  ceremony  which  is  considered  of  great 
importance  by  the  people.  Every  butcher  in  Cape  Town  is 
obliged  to  keep  a Malay  priest  in  his  pay,  who  comes  daily  to 
the  shambles  to  attend  to  this  duty,  or  he  would  not  be  able 
to  sell  any  meat  to  this  class  of  the  community. 

As  no  distinction  is  made  between  this  and  other  classes  of 
coloured  persons  when  the  census  is  taken,  we  cannot  state  the 
exact  number  of  Malays  who  are  now  resident  in  the  Cape 
Colony ; but  from  a careful  calculation  we  estimate  them  at 
10,000.  About  7000  of  them  are  found  in  Cape  Town  and 
neighbourhood,  and  the  remainder  are  scattered  abroad  in  the 
different  towns  and  villages  of  the  Western  Province.  The 
Malays  are  industrious  and  thrifty  in  their  habits ; and  many 
of  them  have  acquired  a considerable  amount  of  property 
by  dint  of  persevering  efforts.  They  make  good  mechanics, 
coachmen,  grooms,  gardeners,  and  fishermen ; and  we  have 
generally  found  them  civil  and  respectful  when  in  our  employ. 

Although  strict  Mohammedans,  polygamy  is  not  generally 
practised  among  the  Malays,  as  they  conform  to  British  law 
without  difficulty.  They  moreover  abstain  from  the  use  of 
wine  and  spirituous  liquors;  but  are  fond  of  trips  of  pleasure 
into  the  country,  and  it  is  a pleasant  sight  on  a Monday 
morning  to  see  waggon-loads  of  men,  women  and  children 
driving  off  for  a holiday.  In  Cape  Town,  Clarmont,  and  some 
other  places,  Mohammedan  mosques  have  been  erected,  where 
the  people  assemble  for  service  at  stated  periods  in  considerable 
numbers.  The  priests  who  officiate  on  these  occasions  are 
generally  more  or  less  acquainted  with  Arabic,  and  they  chant 
their  prayers  and  portions  of  the  Koran  in  that  language  with 
considerable  fluency.  They  are  very  far  from  being  united  in 


Southern  Africa. 


255 


their  views  and  efforts,  however,  being  divided  into  no  less  than 
five  different  sects,  the  members  of  which  regard  each  other 
with  feelings  of  bitter  jealousy.  With  a view  to  unite  and 
further  instruct  the  Mohammedans  of  Southern  Africa  in  the 
doctrines  of  Islamism,  the  Ottoman  Government  sent  out,  a 
few  years  ago,  a distinguished  Effendi  from  Constantinople, 
named  Abu  Beker ; but  his  mission  has  hitherto  been  appa- 
rently fruitless,  several  of  the  priests  resisting  his  authority  with 
the  utmost  persistency,  even  to  the  extent  of  actions  at  law. 

It  has  often  been  matter  of  regret  to  strangers  visiting  the 
Cape,  to  see  so  little  direct  effort  put  forth  by  Christian  minis- 
ters and  people  for  the  conversion  of  the  Malays  to  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel ; but  the  fact  is  that  far  more  is  being  done  in  this 
way  than  many  are  aware  of.  Distinct  and  special  missions 
have  repeatedly  been  organized  for  their  special  benefit ; but 
they  have  invariably  been  met  with  the  most  determined 
opposition,  both  by  priests  and  people,  till  they  have  been 
necessarily  relinquished.  Several  of  the  missionaries  and 
philanthropists  of  the  Cape  have  come  to  the  conclusion,  after 
many  years’  experience,  that  the  best  means  of  benefiting  the 
Malays,  and  of  ultimately  winning  them  over  to  the  faith  and  • 
practice  of  Christianity,  are  those  which  are  most  private, 
silent,  and  quiet  in  their  operation,  as  mission  schools,  pastoral 
visitation,  Christian  kindness,  incidental  conversation,  tract 
distribution,  and  holy  living.  These  means  we  have  known 
to  be  very  beneficial,  and  we  have  witnessed  some  interesting 
conversions  from  the  ranks  of  the  false  prophet  to  the  service 
of  the  Redeemer. 

We  now  come  to  notice  that  portion  of  the  population  of 
South  Africa  which  is  of  fairer  complexion,  and  which  may  be 
classed  under  the  general  designation  of  European  settlers. 
The  first  class  of  “ pale-faced  strangers  ” who  visited  the 
country  for  the  purpose  of  colonization  was  the  Dutch.  The 
Portuguese  had  been  there  before,  but  had  soon  taken  their 
departure.  About  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  the 
Dutch  took  formal  possession  of  the  country,  from  which  period, 


256  Africa  : Past  and  Present. 

notwithstanding  the  changes  which  have  taken  place  in  the 
form  of  government,  they  have  been  the  most  numerous  class 
of  European  colonists.  They  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every 
part  of  Southern  Africa;  but  more  especially  in  the  Transvaal, 
the  Orange  Free  State,  and  in  the  Western  Province  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  where  their  language  prevails  to  a considerable  extent 
among  all  classes  of  the  community. 

The  favourite  occupation  of  the  Dutch  settlers  is  farming; 
and  many  of  them  having  obtained  grants  of  extensive  tracts 
of  land  at  an  early  period  and  at  a trifling  cost,  they  have 
become  quite  wealthy,  and  live  in  the  midst  of  plenty  after 
their  rude  fashion.  The  Dutch  “ Boers,”  as  the  farmers  are 
invariably  called,  are  remarkable  for  their  hospitality  to  stran- 
gers, if  they  are  favourably  impressed  with  their  character  and 
appearance  and  the  object  of  their  first  visit.  In  order  to 
arrive  at  a right  conclusion  on  these  points,  they  scan  the 
traveller  with  a keen  eye  as  he  approaches  their  dwellings ; 
and,  before  he  has  time  to  alight  from  his  horse  or  vehicle, 
the  patriarch  of  the  family  generally  proposes  to  him  three 
important  questions  at  one  breath,  which  he  is  expected  to 
answer  without  equivocation  : namely,  “ Wie  ben  u?”  “ Waar 

kom  ii  van  daa?i  ? ” “ Waar  ga  u?"  (That  is,  in  plain  English, 
“ Who  are  you  ? ” “ Where  do  you  come  from  ? ” “ Where 

are  you  going?”)  If  the  answers  to  these  inquiries  are  satis- 
factory, the  farmer  says,  ^^Kom  binnen,” — that  is,  “Come  in” — 
and  from  henceforth  the  traveller  is  heartily  welcome  to  the 
hospitality  of  the  house  during  his  stay.  Besides  the  Boers 
who  reside  in  the  interior,  and  in  the  rural  districts,  there  are 
a number  of  Dutch  gentlemen  to  be  found  in  the  towns  and 
villages  of  the  Cape  Colony,  who  occupy  prominent  positions 
as  ministers,  physicians,  lawyers,  government  officials,  and 
merchants;  and  our  happy  social  intercourse  with  many  of  them 
is  remembered  with  pleasure. 

Since  the  Cape  Colony  became  a permanent  appendage  to 
the  British  Crown,  at  an  early  period  of  the  present  century, 
the  number  of  English  settlers  has  been  every  year  increasing ; 


257 


Southern  Africa. 

but  the  largest  accession  to  this  class  of  colonists  was  made  in 
1820,  when  several  thousands  arrived  in  the  course  of  a few 
months,  and  were  located  in  Albany  and  other  parts  of  the 
Eastern  Province.  That  large  importation  of  the  British 
element,  with  subsequent  emigration  on  a smaller  and  more 
gradual  scale,  has  rendered  South-Eastern  Africa  more  English 
in  its  character  than  any  other  portion  of  the  great  continent. 
In  the  stores  of  Port  Elizabeth  and  Graham’s  Town,  and  on 
many  of  the  farms  in  the  rural  districts  of  the  eastern  frontier, 
the  English  traveller  might  almost  imagine  himself  back  again 
in  his  own  country;  and  of  late  years  the  English  element  in 
Cape  Town  and  its  vicinity  has  rapidly  increased,  so  that  every- 
where the  English  language  is  now  spoken,  and  our  country- 
men are  found  occupying  every  possible  position  in  the  social 
scale,  from  the  governor  of  the  colony  to  the  humblest  artisan. 

There  are  also  at  the  Cape,  as  in  most  of  the  colonies  of  the 
British  empire,  a considerable  number  of  Scotch  and  Irish 
settlers  located  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  who  are 
noted  for  their  industrious  and  thrifty  habits.  The  largest 
number  of  either  of  these  classes  of  colonists  which  has  ever 
arrived  at  one  time  was  the  Scottish  party  of  British  settlers, 
who  came  out  in  1820,  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Pringle, 
the  celebrated  South  African  poet.  These  settled  at  a place 
called  Glen  Lyden ; and  although  their  descendants  became 
scattered  in  after  years,  they  and  their  enterprising  countrymen 
who  have  emigrated  at  different  times  form  an  important  element 
in  the  European  community  in  the  Cape  Colony. 

In  addition  to  the  various  classes  already  mentioned,  we 
have  in  South  Africa  a considerable  number  of  French  and 
Germans,  and  other  persons  belonging  to  different  continental 
nations,  a particular  description  of  whom  is  not  necessary.  At 
an  early  period  of  the  history  of  the  Cape  Colony,  on  the 
revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  a number  of  French 
Protestant  refugees  emigrated  to  South  Africa,  that  they  might 
enjoy  the  blessing  of  religious  liberty,  of  which  they  had  been 
deprived  in  their  own  country.  These  were  located  by  the 

17 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


\ 

258 

Dutch  government  in  a fertile  valley  called  Fransche  Hork,  or 
“ French  Corner,”  a spot  which  v e have  visited  with  pleasure, 
and  which  is  rendered  increasingly  interesting  by  one  of  the 
beautiful  sonnets  of  the  poet  Pringle.  These  early  French 
settlers  devoted  themselves  to  the  cultivation  of  the  vine, 
for  which  the  soil  and  climate  were  found  congenial.  Their 
descendants  have  to  a considerable  extent  become  amalgamated 
with  the  Dutch  portion  of  the  population ; but  the  French 
element  of  society  has  been  replenished  from  time  to  time  by 
more  recent  arrivals  from  Europe. 

At  the  close  of  the  Crimean  war,  when  the  German  legions 
were  disbanded,  a large  number  of  the  soldiers  accepted  an 
offer  which  was  made  to  them  of  a free  passage  to  South 
Africa,  and  grants  of  land  on  the  eastern  frontier  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  to  be  held  on  condition  of  certain  military  service  to 
be  rendered,  when  necessary,  for  the  defence  of  the  country. 
Although  the  settlement  of  these  Germans  does  not  appear  to 
have  answered  its  intended  purpose,  the  people  soon  becoming 
scattered,  it  nevertheless  added  largely  to  this  particular  class 
of  the  European  population,  and  furnished  a number  of  in- 
dustrious artisans,  at  a time  when  they  were  much  required. 

The  character,  extent,  and  comparative  progress  of  the 
population  in  the  British  colonies  in  Southern  Africa,  with  the 
gradual  increase  in  the  quantity  of  stock  and  wheat  produced, 
may  be  seen  at  once  from  the  following  table,  embodying  the 
returns  of  the  last  census  : — 


PROGRESS  OF  POPULATION,  ETC.,  IN  BRITISH  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


Date. 

Whites, 

Natives. 

Sheep. 

Cattle. 

Bushels  of 
Wheat 

1710 

1769 

1798 

1820 

1846 

1865 

1875 

2,000 

10,000 

22.000 

47.000 

70.000 

197.000 

300.000 

3,000 

10.000 

40.000 

63.000 

108.000 

470.000 
1,300,000 

130.000 

245.000 

1.500.000 

2.300.000 

4.500.000 

9.800.000 
11,000,000 

eo.ooo 

38,000 

251.000 

320.000 

470.000 

670.000 
1,100,000 

60,000 

525.000 

600.000 

620.000 

650.000 

1.400.000 

1.800.000 

Souihem  Africa.  259 

In  studying'  these  statistics,  it  must  be  remembered  that, 
from  time  to  time,  the  colonial  boundaiies  were  extended, — 
a circumstance  which  will  account  for  the  rapid  increase  in 
number  of  the  natives  enumerated  as  compared  with  the  white 
population. 

European  Colonization. 

The  history  of  European  colonization  in  various  parts  of  the 
world  presents  to  our  view  many  pages  stained  with  crime, 
treachery,  and  blood  ; and  over  their  mournful  records  the 
genuine  philanthropist  may  well  shed  tears  of  sorrow.  When 
a country  is  but  sparsely  populated,  and  tens  of  thousands 
of  acres  of  land  are  seen  lying  waste,  which  are  never  likely  to 
be  occupied  by  the  thinly-scattered  inhabitants ; and  when  the 
natives  are  known  to  be  indolent  in  their  habits,  and  averse  to 
agriculture,  it  is  not  surprising  that  more  energetic  and  indus- 
trious races  of  men,  who  are  too  much  crowded  in  their  own 
country,  should  form  schemes  of  emigration  with  a view  to 
subdue,  possess,  and  bring  the  land  under  profitable  cultiva- 
tion. And  if  this  were  done  in  the  spirit  of  justice,  truth,  and 
Christian  kindness  to  the  aborigines,  no  one  need  complain;’ 
but,  alas  for  our  fellow-countrymen  ! this  has  not  always  been 
the  case. 

The  colonization  of  South  Africa  forms  no  exception,  in  our 
opinion,  to  the  general  lack  of  humane  and  charitable  treatment 
of  the  native  tribes  by  European  settlers,  over  which  we  have 
so  frequently  had  occasion  to  mourn.  And  yet  we  are  free  to 
admit  that  we  have  no  sympathy  with  those  who  would  condemn 
all  the  colonists  as  equally  guilty  of  cruelty  to  the  natives.  We 
have  met  with  many  noble  exceptions,  and  can  call  to  mind 
with  pleasure  delightful  instances  of  genuine  Christian  kindness 
towards  the  dark  aborigines. 

A correct  idea  of  the  past  and  present  state  of  Southern 
Africa,  and  of  the  circumstances  under  which  some  portions  of 
it  have  been  colonized  by  Europeans,  together  with  what  has 
been  done  to  civilize  and  evangelize  the  native  races,  will  best 


260 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


appear  from  a succinct  account  of  the  respective  colonies, 
provinces,  districts,  settlements,  and  missions,  into  which  the 
country  has  been  divided,  and  on  which  our  countrymen  have 
operated  for  weal  or  for  woe  for  many  years  past. 

In  taking  a “ bird’s-eye  view  ” of  this  interesting  portion  of 
the  British  empire,  we  must  look  at  the  Cape  Colony,  British 
Kaffraria,  the  Colony  of  Natal,  the  Orange  Free  State,  the 
Transvaal  and  neighbouring  territories,  including  Basutuland, 
Griqualand,  Bechuanaland,  Kaffirland,  Zululand,  Bushmanland, 
Namaqualand,  Damaraland,  Ovampoland,  and  the  regions  be- 
yond. After  the  sketches  we  have  given  of  the  people  them- 
selves, our  account  of  the  countries  they  occupy,  and  the  means 
which  have  been  employed  to  promote  their  improvement, 
must  necessarily  be  brief  and  fragmentary. 

The  Cape  Colony — Western  Province. 

The  great  promontory  of  Southern  Africa  was  discovered  by 
the  Portuguese  navigator,  Bartholomew  Diaz,  in  the  year  1493; 
who,  in  consequence  of  the  boisterous  weather  which  he 
experienced  when  approaching  it,  called  it  Cavo  Tormentoso,  or 
“The  Cape  of  Storms  but  Emanuel,  king  of  Portugal,  on  the 
return  of  Diaz,  changed  its  name  to  that  of  “ The  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,”  from  the  hope  he  entertained  of  finding  a passage  beyond 
it  to  India.  In  this  he  was  not  disappointed,  for  Vasco  Gama, 
having  doubled  this  cape  in  1497,  proceeded  to  India,  and 
landed  at  Calicut  in  the  month  of  May  the  following  year. 
The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  not  colonized  by  the  Portuguese, 
however,  but  by  the  Dutch,  who  landed  and  formed  a settle- 
ment there  in  1650.  For  many  years  the  colony  was  veiy 
circumscribed  in  its  area,  extending  only  to  the  foot  of  Table 
Mountain  and  to  Salt  River,  scarcely  a mile  froni  the  fort  or 
castle  which  they  built  on  the  shores  of  Table  Bay,  when  they 
laid  the  foundation  of  Cape  Town,  the  present  capital  of  Cape 
Colony. 

The  country  beyond  these  narrow  limits  was  inhabited  by  the 


Southern  Africa.  261 

native  Hottentots,  who  viewed  with  jealousy  and  distrust  the 
arrival  of  the  “ pale-faced  strangers  ” ; and  many  touching 
stories  are  told  of  the  early  adventures  of  both  parties.  It  is 
said  that  soon  after  the  first  Portuguese  ship  that  visited  the 
Cape  anchored  in  Table  Bay,  near  Robin  Island,  a number  of 
sailors  went  on  shore,  when  a disturbance  with  the  natives  was 
occasioned  by  the  following  little  incident : — One  of  the  sailors 
having  a pair  of  bright  buckles  on  his  shoes,  which  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  savages,  and  he  being  unwilling  to  part 
with  them,  some  misunderstanding  arose,  which  ended  in  the 
massacre  of  seventy-five  persons.  Some  time  afterwards  a 
party  of  Portuguese  landed  at  the  Cape  again ; and  knowing 
that  the  natives  were  fond  of  bright  and  glittering  articles  of 
metal,  they  took  with  them  a bright  cannon  as  a present,  as 
they  said,  to  the  paramount  chief.  To  the  cannon,  which  was 
loaded  with  musket  balls,  some  long  ropes  were  attached,  that 
the  Hottentots  might  drag  it  away  to  their  place  of  residence 
behind  Table  Mountain.  Not  aware  that  this  shining  object  was 
an  engine  of  destruction,  they  readily  took  hold  of  the  ropes, 
and  when  on  a line  with  its  open  mouth,  a person  previously 
appointed  for  the  purpose  put  the  match  to  the  priming,  when 
an  explosion  instantly  took  place,  and  the  bullets  killed  most 
of  the  simple  natives  in  front  of  the  cannon.  Those  who 
escaped  death  fled  to  the  mountains  to  await  an  opportunity 
for  revenge. 

In  the  year  1652,  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  took 
formal  possession  of  the  Cape,  the  first  governor  being  the 
humane  and  pious  Jan  Van  Riebeek,  who  appears  to  have 
commenced  every  enterprise  upon  which  he  entered  in  the 
name  of  God,  and  with  the  offering  up  of  prayer  for  the  Divine 
blessing.  After  a successful  career  of  ten  years  he  died,  and 
was  succeeded  by  others,  who  failed  to  tread  in  his  steps. 
Had  every  government  official  and  every  European  colonist 
arriving  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  been  like  Van  Riebeek, 
the  history  of  the  colony  would  have  been  more  creditable 
than  it  really  is.  During  the  century  and  a half  that  the 


262 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Cape  Colony  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Dutch  it  advanced 
considerably  in  population  and  material  prosperity,  and  divine 
worship  was  regularly  maintained  for  the  benefit  of  the  settlers, 
but  scarcely  anything  was  done  for  the  spiritual  enlightenment 
of  the  natives. 

In  the  year  1795  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  captured  by 
the  English,  under  Sir  James  Craig ; and  in  the  month  of 
May,  1797,  Lord  Macartney  arrived  there  to  take  charge  of  the 
government.  In  1802  the  colony  was  restored  to  the  Dutch 
by  the  peace  of  Amiens ; but  on  the  breaking  out  of  war  again 
it  was  retaken  by  the  British  in  1806,  under  Sir  David  Baird, 
since  which  period  it  has  remained  in  our  possession.  For 
many  years  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  what  is  technically 
called  a Crown  Colony,  the  government  being  administered  by 
a governor  appointed  by  Imperial  authority,  assisted  by  a 
Council  Board,  the  members  of  which  were  either  government 
officers  or  gentlemen  selected  by  the  governor  himself  for  the 
honourable  position.  But  in  1856  the  colony  had  so  far 
advanced  in  general  intelligence,  that  it  was  considered  ripe 
for  representative  institutions  and  self-government;  and  a con- 
stitution was  accordingly  granted  by  the  British  Crown  and 
Parliament,  providing  for  a Legislative  Council  and  House  of 
Assembly  somewhat  after  the  plan  of  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Houses  of  Parliament  in  England ; only  at  the  Cape  the 
members  of  both  houses  are  elected  by  the  colonists  on  the 
principle  of  a moderate  and  liberal  franchise.  A few  years 
afterwards  complete  responsible  government  was  established 
in  the  Cape  Colony,  ministers  of  state  for  different  departments 
being  appo'nted,  and  liable  to  be  in  or  out  of  office  in  the  usual 
way,  according  to  circumstances,  the  governor  still  holding  his 
office  by  imperial  authority,  as  representative  of  the  king  or 
queen  of  England. 

Under  British  rule  the  Cape  Colony  has  gradually  but 
rapidly  advanced  in  every  department,  and  its  commercial  and 
mercantile  int-^rests  have  prospered  in  a very  remarkable 
manner.  The  population  has  greatly  increased  by  means  of 


SnitLeni  Africa, 


265 

emigration  and  otherwise ; towns  and  villages  have  sprung  up 
in  every  direction  ; railwa>s  have  been  built ; harbour  improve- 
ments have  been  pir>moted;  cultivation  has  been  extended, 
and  every  branch  of  trade,  commerce,  and  industry  has 
progressed  from  year  to  year  to  a very  encouraging  extent, 
notwithstanding  the  occasional  drawbacks  which  have  been 
experienced  from  periodical  droughts,  native  wars,  and  other 
untoward  events.  The  colony  as  a whole  now  assumes  a very 
prosperous  and  promising  aspect,  and  will  compare  favourably 
with  any  other  appendage  of  the  British  Crown.  This  will 
more  fully  appear  by  a brief  description  and  a cursory  topo- 
graphical survey  of  its  extensive  area,  including  the  Eastern  and 
Western  Provinces,  and  the  districts  into  which  they  are  divided 
for  electoral,  judicial,  and  fiscal  purpose-s,  with  their  respective 
towns  and  villages. 

On  approaching  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  from  Europe, 
the  first  thing  that  strikes  the  eye  is  the  dim  outline  of  Table 
Mountain,  which  rears  its  lofty  head  to  the  height  of  3,582 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ; with  the  minor  elevations  of 
the  Devil’s  Peak,  the  Lion’s  Head,  the  Lion’s  Rump,  and 
Green  Point  in  the  distance.  On  entering  Table  Bay,  Cape 
Town  is  distinctly  seen,  with  its  whitewashed  houses  glittering 
in  the  sunlight,  and  stretching  along  the  shore  to  the  distance 
of  a mile  or  more,  with  vessels  of  various  kinds  anchored  before 
it,  and  the  almost  perpendicular  granite  front  of  the  mountain 
rising  behind.  This  was  formerly  regarded  as  a very  insecure 
port  for  ships  to  visit,  and  during  the  winter  months,  when 
heavy  gales  set  in  with  fearful  violence  from  the  open  sea,  we 
have  known  scores  of  vessels  driven  on  shore  and  completely 
wrecked ; but  since  the  construction  of  splendid  docks,  and 
the  erection  of  an  extensive  breakwater  of  solid  masonry,  it  is 
found  to  be  a desirable  harbour  of  refuge,  and  a place  where 
repairs  to  shipping  of  all  kinds  can  be  speedily  and  efficiently 
executed.  In  the  centre  of  Table  Bay,  at  a distance  of  eight 
miljs  from  the  shore,  is  seen  Robin  Island,  on  which  are 
located  hospitals  and  asylums  for  lepers,  lunatics,  and  the 


264 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


chronic  sick,  with  other  institutions  which  are  thought  to  be 
best  away  from  the  mainland. 

Cape  Town,  the  capital  of  the  Western  Province,  and  the 
metropolis  of  the  colony,  is  a large  and  handsome  city,  with  a 
population  of  about  35,000.  The  streets  are  laid  out  at  right 
angles,  and  many  of  the  houses  are  of  a substantial  and  elegant 
character.  Some  of  the  stores,  or  shops,  and  warehouses,  with 
their  splendid  plate-glass  windows  and  highly-ornamented 
fronts,  would  be  no  discredit  to  any  city  in  Europe.  The 
principal  public  buildings  are  the  Government  House,  the 
Houses  of  Parliament,  the  Public  Library,  the  Commercial 
Exchange,  the  Custom  House,  Somerset  Hospital,  two  Epis- 
copal churches,  two  Wesleyan  churches,  two  Dutch  Reformed 
churches,  one  Lutheran  church,  one  Roman  Catholic  church, 
one  Congregational  church,  one  Baptist  church,  two  Moham- 
medan mosques,  and  a Jewish  synagogue.  The  city  being 
lighted  with  gas,  and  cabs  and  omnibuses  plying  in  every 
direction,  with  now  and  then  the  shrill  sound  of  the  railway 
whistle  and  the  loud  snorting  of  the  iron  horse,  as  the  trains 
leave  for  the  country,  one  might  fancy  one’s  self  in  a first-class 
English  town,  if  it  were  not  for  the  flat-roofed  houses,  the 
lumberly  ox-waggons,  and  the  variety  of  complexions  and 
costumes  which  meet  the  eye  in  every  direction  and  tend  to 
give  to  the  place  a foreign  aspect. 

On  leaving  the  city,  and  crossing  the  dreary  sandy  Cape 
Flats,  which  terminate  at  False  Bay  and  separate  Table  Moun- 
tain with  its  surroundings  from  the  interior  districts,  we  come 
to  the  more  fertile  regions  of  Tigerberg  and  Koeberg,  cele- 
brated for  their  corn  farms,  all  included  in  the  Cape  division 
of  the  colony,  with  the  village  of  D’Urban  for  their  centre. 
But  the  towns  and  villages  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of 
the  capital  demand  a brief  description. 

Mowbray  is  a pleasant  village  four  miles  from  Cape  Town. 
It  consists  of  a number  of  detached  cottages  and  respectable 
mansions,  which  are  situated  on  each  side  of  the  public  road, 
? t considerable  and  irregular  intervals,  and  separated  from  each 


265 


Southern  Africa. 

other  in  some  instances  by  fields,  gardens,  and  vineyards. 
Rondebosch  may  be  regarded  as  a continuation  of  Mowbray, 
and  consists  of  dwelling-houses  of  a similar  description  to  those 
already  mentioned.  They  are  occupied  chiefly  by  Cape  Town 
merchants  and  government  officials,  who  are  glad  to  escape 
from  the  heat  and  dust  of  the  city  to  this  agreeable  locality 
when  they  have  finished  the  business  of  the  day.  They  can  now 
go  to  and  return  from  their  respective  offices  by  rail,  which  is 
found  to  be  a great  convenience.  These  villages  are  favoured 
with  two  Episcopal  churches,  one  Dutch  Reformed  church,  one 
Roman  Catholic  church,  and  one  Wesleyan  church,  with  a small 
native  Wesleyan  chapel  and  several  schools. 

Proceeding  along  a tolerably  good  road,  each  side  of  which 
is  lined  with  shady  oak  and  fir  trees,  with  here  and  there  a 
beautiful  mansion  embowered  in  verdant  foliage,  we  come  to 
the  rural  but  straggling  village  of  Claremont,  about  six  miles 
from  Cape  Town,  in  which  there  are  several  pleasant  dwelling- 
houses  and  labourers’  cottages,  together  with  an  Episcopal 
church,  a Wesleyan  chapel,  and  a Mohammedan  mosque. 

Wynberg  is  situated  about  eight  miles  from  the  capital,  partly 
behind  the  spur  of  Table  Mountain,  and  beyond  the  scattered 
hamlet  of  N ewlands.  It  is  a beautiful  village,  resembling  in  many 
respects  those  already  described,  and  celebrated  as  a healthy  and 
agreeable  place  of  resort  for  Indian  and  other  visitors,  whose 
constitutions  have  been  impaired  by  a lengthened  residence  in 
tropical  climates.  Many  merchants  and  government  officers 
also  reside  here,  the  railway  affording  every  facility  of  travelling 
to  and  fro  for  those  whose  daily  duties  call  them  to  the  city. 

After  leaving  Winberg,  the  road  soon  becomes  more  dreary. 
On  the  right  we  have  a range  of  rugged  mountains,  at  the  foot 
of  which  are  situated  a few  scattered  farms,  and  on  the  left  a 
, vast  sandy  plain,  on  which  may  be  seen  occasional  patches  of 
cultivation,  with  here  and  there  a poor  labourer’s  cottage.  To 
the  right  we  notice  Constantia,  a small  district  studded  with 
smiling  vineyards  and  celebrated  for  the  quality  of  its  wine. 
After  travelling  a distance  of  about  fifteen  miles  from  Cape 


266 


Ajrica  : Past  and  Present. 


Town,  we  reach  the  seashore  at  the  head  of  False  Bay,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  peninsula.  Along  this  rugged  shore,  beyond 
Muzenberg,  with  the  waves  dashing  up  against  the  rocks,  the 
road  leads  to  Simon’s  Town,  which  may  be  seen  in  the  distance, 
through  Kalk  Bay,  a straggling  marine  village  which  has  of 
late  years  become  a fashionable  little  watering-place. 

Simon's  Town  is  a lively,  bustling  little  place,  situated  in  an 
amphitheatre  of  rugged  mountains,  with  very  little  land  avail- 
able for  cultivation  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  about  twenty-two 
miles  from  Cape  Town.  It  contains  some  good  buildings, 
the  principal  of  which  are  the  admiral’s  mansion,  the  military 
barracks,  the  Episcopal  church,  the  Dutch  Reformed  chtirch, 
and  the  Wesleyan  church,  the  last  of  which  occupies  a promi- 
nent position  on  an  elevated  point  of  land  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  town,  and,  with  its  neat  little  spire  pointing  to  heaven,  may 
be  seen  from  afar,  being  a useful  landmark  for  vessels  entering 
the  bay.  Simon’s  Town  derives  its  chief  importance  from  its 
military  and  naval  establishments,  including  the  government 
do.'kyards,  and  from  its  sheltered  bay,  which  affords  a secure 
harbour  for  shipping  in  all  weathers. 

Stellenbosch  is  an  ancient  and  important  agricultural  town, 
twenty-six  miles  from  the  capital,  by  road  or  rail,  with  a popu- 
lation of  4000,  chiefly  Dutch.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the 
northern  bank  of  Eerst  river,  at  the  head  of  a beautiful  and  fertile 
valley.  The  streets  are  straight,  and  intersect  each  other  at 
right  angles.  Most  of  the  houses  are  built  after  the  old  Dutch 
style  of  architecture,  with  highly-ornamented  gables  and  thatched 
roofs;  they  are,  nevertheless,  substantial  and  respectable  in 
their  appearance.  A stream  of  pure  water  runs  along  each  side 
of  the  principal  streets,  which  are  also  lined  with  rows  of  oak 
trees  that  afford  a refreshing  shade  in  the  summer  season  and 
add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  place.  The  principal  public 
buildings  of  Stellenbosch  are  the  Dutch  Reformed  church  and 
college,  the  Episcopal  church,  the  Wesleyan  church,  and  the 
chapel  and  schools  of  the  Rhenish  Mission. 

Somerset  ( West)  is  situated  in  the  electoral  division  of  Stellen- 


267 


Southern  Africa. 

bosch,  at  a distance  of  about  thirty  miles  from  Cape  Town,  on 
the  high  road  to  the  eastern  frontier.  It  is  an  interesting  rural 
village,  consisting  of  a few  respectable  dwelling-houses  and  a 
large  number  of  labourers’  cottages  connected  with  the  Wesleyan 
Missionary  Institution.  The  Dutch  Reformed  church  and  the 
Wesleyan  church  are  the  only  public  buildings  of  any  note  in 
the  neighbourhood.  A number  of  labourers  and  fishermen 
reside  at  the  vilbges  of  Sir  Lowry's  Pass  and  the  Strand,  and 
the  place  last  named  is  resorted  to  by  the  Dutch  farmers  and 
their  families,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  for  the  purpose  of 
sea-bathing.  The  population  of  these  scattered  villages  and 
the  surrounding  farms  may  amount  to  about  3000. 

Swellendam  is  an  ancient  inland  town,  founded  in  1745,  on 
the  high  road  to  the  Eastern  Province,  and  about  140  miles 
from  Cape  Town.  It  gives  its  name  to  an  electoral  division, 
and  is  a place  of  considerable  importance,  being  central  to  a 
large  number  of  farms  occupied  chiefly  by  Dutch  Boers.  It 
has  a Dutch  Reformed  church  for  the  masses  of  the  people,  a 
small  Episcopal  church  for  the  few  English  residents,  and  a 
large  public  school  for  the  youth  of  all  classes.  In  this  electoral 
division  are  situated  also  the  comparatively  new  village  of 
Robertson,  so  called  in  honour  of  an  eminent  Dutch  Reformed 
minister  of  that  name,  100  miles  from  Cape  Town ; and 
Riversdale,  a village  or  hamlet  202  miles  from  the  capital. 
These  are  important  rural  centres  of  population  for  a large  tract 
of  country  l>ing  between  the  Breade  and  Gauritz  rivers,  in 
which  are  situated  numerous  farms  producing  corn,  wine,  and 
wool  in  large  quantities.  In  the  same  region  are  found  also 
the  smaller  villages  of  Montague,  Heidelberg,  and  Ladysmith, 
and  a mission  station  called  Zoar,  At  most  of  these  places 
Dutch  Reformed  churches  have  been  erected,  and  small  Epis- 
copal churches  have  been  built  also  in  localities  where  a few 
English  residents  are  found,  whilst  at  Robertson  a substantial 
Wesleyan  church  has  been  provided  for  the  coloured  population 
and  others  who  have  been  brought  under  religious  instruction 
by  the  missionaries. 


268 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


Caledon  is  an  interesting  and  romantic  village,  noted  for  its 
mineral  springs,  the  waters  of  which  are  said  to  be  beneficial 
in  cases  of  rheumatism  and  other  ailments.  It  gives  its  name 
to  an  electoral  division  of  the  Western  Province  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  and  is  situated  at  a distance  of  eighty  miles  from  the 
capital.  Bredasdorp  is  a little  village  in  the  same  neighbour- 
hood behind  the  first  range  of  mountains ; and  in  the  same 
division,  in  a beautiful  valley  north  of  the  Zonder-Einde  river, 
at  a place  called  Genadendal  (“the  vale  of  grace  ”),  is  situated  a 
large  and  prosperous  mission  station  of  the  Moravian  Society, 
the  first  that  was  formed  in  South  Africa. 

Worcester  is  an  inland  town  of  considerable  importance,  about 
eighty  miles  from  the  capital  of  the  colony,  from  which  it  is 
approached  through  a stupendous  mountain  pass  called  Bain’s 
Kloof,  in  honour  of  the  enterprising  engineer  who  constructed 
the  original  road.  This  place  is  the  centre  of  an  extensive  and 
populous  district  comprised  in  the  electoral  division  of  Worcester, 
including  the  rural  villages  of  Tulbagh  and  Ceris,  and  the  Rhenish 
mission  stations  of  Saran  and  Steinthal. 

The  Faarl,  at  a distance  from  Cape  Town  of  thirty-eight 
miles,  is  a scattered  district  or  hamlet,  rather  than  a village, 
and  together  with  Wellington,  an  interesting  village  at  the  foot 
of  Bain’s  Kloof,  about  seven  miles  further  on,  comprises  a rich 
and  fruitful  district  of  the  Western  Province.  The  whole  of 
this  region  is  exquisitely  beautiful.  The  dwelling-houses  stand 
at  a distance  from  each  other,  the  intervals  being  occupied  with 
gardens  and  vineyards,  which  give  to  the  neighbourhood  a 
charming  appearance.  The  value  and  importance  of  this  part 
of  the  colony  has  been  enhanced  of  late  years  by  the  extension 
through  its  centre  of  the  Cape  Town  and  Stellenbosch  Railway, 
giving  increased  facilities  of  communication,  and  affording  to 
the  farmers  the  means  of  sending  their  produce  to  the  market 
with  comparatively  little  trouble  or  expense.  The  same  privilege 
will  soon  be  afforded  to  several  other  places  still  more  distant, 
as  the  extension  of  the  railroad  is  rapidly  advancing  towards  the 
Diamond  Fields. 


Southern  Africa.  269 

Mabnshcry  is  a pleasant  village,  about  forty  miles  from  Cape 
Town,  on  the  direct  road  to  Namaqualand,  and  gives  its  name 
to  an  electoral  division  of  the  colony,  comprising  a large  agri- 
cultural district,  including  Zwartland  and  Saldanha  Bay,  and 
the  villages  of  Picketberg,  Hopefield,  and  Darling. 

Clanwilliafn  is  the  most  extensive  electoral  division  in  the 
Western  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony,  as  it  embraces  the  whole 
region  of  Little  Namaqualand  as  far  as  the  Orange  River,  in- 
cluding Calvinia  and  Springbokfontein,  where  important  copper 
mines  are  worked,  together  with  the  missionary  institutions  of 
Ebenezer,  Khamiesberg,  Komntagaas,  Kokfontein.,  Richterfeld,  and 
Wupperthal.  The  village  of  Clanwilliam  is  situated  in  a romantic 
valley  in  the  Cedar  mountains,  at  a distance  of  150  miles  from 
Cape  Town,  and  is  the  residence  of  the  civil  commissioner, 
whose  jurisdiction  extends  over  the  whole  of  this  vast  region, 
comprising  a scattered  population  of  various  nationalities,  com- 
plexions, and  languages, — English,  Dutch,  Bastards,  and  Nama- 
quas,  including  a small  tribe  or  two  of  the  original  Hottentots 
or  Bushmen,  recognising  their  own  native  chief  or  leader,  and 
wandering  about  with  their  scanty  flock  along  the  banks  of  the 
Orange  River. 

George  is  also  an  extensive  electoral  division,  including  the 
scattered  village  known  by  the  same  name,  290  miles  from  Cape 
Town,  together  with  Ot/dtshoorn,  Aliwal  [South),  Planes,  Belvi- 
dere,  Melville,  Neivhaven,  and  the  Knysna.  This  vast  region 
consists  of  a number  of  fertile  valleys  lying  between  the  sea- 
coast  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  continent,  and  the  mountain 
range  known  as  the  Great  Zwartebergen.  In  some  places  the 
country  is  densely  wooded  with  valuable  timber,  whilst  in  others 
it  abounds  with  excellent  pasture  lands  and  farms,  on  which  are 
cultivated  corn,  wine,  and  other  produce  on  an  extensive  scale. 
In  this  district  there  are  some  curious  caves,  at  a place  called 
Congo,  which  many  persons  travel  far  to  see.  There  is  also  a 
remarkable  long,  narrow  pass,  known  as  Langekloof,  through 
which  the  hard  road  has  been  constructed  which  leads  to  the 
eastern  frontier.  This  part  of  the  colony  is  more  highly  favoured 


270  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

than  some  others  in  having  communication  by  sea  through  the 
small  but  valuable  ports  of  Mossel  Bay,  Plattinberg  Bay,  and 
the  Knysna. 

Beaufort  is  a considerable  village  330  miles  from  Cape  Town, 
which,  together  with  Victoria  ( West),  Prince  Albert,  Fraserherg, 
and  some  other  scattered  villages  and  hamlets,  forms  another 
extensive  electoral  division,  stretching  far  away  towards  the 
Eastern  Province,  and  separated  from  Clanwilliam  and  Worcester 
by  the  Hartebeest  and  Dwyka  rivers.  This  vast  region  presents 
several  distinct  zones  or  belts  of  country  from  south  to  north, 
some  of  which  are  well  adapted  for  agricultural  purposes,  and 
others  for  sheep-farming  and  grazing  cattle.  There  is  a Dutch 
Reformed  church  in  the  Nieuweld,  and  in  some  other  places 
the  Dutch  farmers  are  favoured  with  opportunities  of  receiving 
religious  instruction  from  their  own  ministers ; but  the  scattered 
English  settlers  are  only  indifferently  provided  for.  There  are  in 
this  district  two  Rhenish  Mission  stations,  called  Amaudelbooin 
and  Schietfontcm,  intended  for  the  special  benefit  of  the  coloured 
people ; but  there  is  a loud  call  for  much  more  to  be  done  for 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  all  classes  of  the  community. 

Before  we  proceed  in  our  general  survey  of  the  remaining 
portion  of  the  Cape  Colony,  it  may  be  as  well  to  glance  at  the 
means  which  have  been  employed  to  promote  the  moral  and 
religious  welfare  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Western  Province,  the 
two  sections  of  the  country  being  in  many  respects  so  dissimilar 
froni  each  other.  There  is  no  Established  Church  at  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  religious  equality  being  acknowledged  and  en- 
joyed to  a certain  extent  by  all  denominations  of  Christians. 
A few  years  ago  certain  favoured  churches  were  subsidised  by 
large  annual  grants  from  government  funds ; but  this  is  altered 
now,  and  when  the  claims  of  a few  reverend  incumbents  for  life 
have  been  met,  all  denominations  will  literally  stand  upon  the 
same  level,  and  have  to  support  their  own  religious  institutions 
by  their  own  voluntary  contributions. 

The  Dutch  Reformed  Church  being  that  of  the  original 
colonists,  it  is  the  strongest  religious  denomination  in  the 


Southern  Africa. 


271 


Western  Province,  and  it  is  numerously  represented  in  most 
of  the  towns  and  villages  throughout  the  country.  We  have 
met  with  many  able,  earnest,  and  devoted  Christians,  both 
among  the  ministers  and  laymen  of  this  Church,  with  whom 
we  have  enjoyed  religious  fellowship.  At  the  same  time  the 
fact  must  not  be  concealed,  that  formerly  it  was  regarded  as  the 
Church  of  the  white  settlers  rather  than  as  that  of  the  coloured 
people  and  of  the  community  generally.  It  was  not  till  the 
advent  of  the  agents  of  missionary  societies  that  the  Dutch 
Church  awoke  to  the  necessity  of  doing  something  for  the 
religious  instruction  of  the  coloured  classes.  Of  late  years, 
however,  both  Dutch  ministers  and  members  have  nobly  re- 
deemed their  character,  and  in  connection  with  many  of  their 
churches  a large  amount  of  real  missionary  work  is  done. 

Similar  remarks  would  apply  to  the  English  or  Episcopal 
Church,  as  it  has  existed  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  As  the 
Church  most  patronized  and  favoured  by  government  officials 
after  the  colony  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  it  was  in 
former  times  the  Church  of  the  aristocracy,  whilst  the  poor 
slaves  and  free  people  of  colour  were  totally  neglected.  But  of 
late  years,  especially  since  the  appointment  of  the  late  devoted 
Bishop  Gray,  and  the  introduction  of  the  episcopal  element,  it 
has  been  very  different.  A missionary  spirit  has  recently  per- 
vaded every  part  of  the  work ; and  whilst  we  mourn  over  the 
exclusivism  and  the  ritualistic  tendencies  which  manifest  them- 
selves in  many  places,  we  cannot  but  admire  the  earnestness 
and  zeal  with  which  Church  work  is  almost  everywhere  prose- 
cuted in  the  Western  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony.  The 
progress  made  in  the  erection  of  churches  and  school  buildings 
in  the  respective  towns  and  villages,  and  the  appointment  of 
ministers  and  teachers  to  labour  among  all  classes,  with  the  aid 
of  funds  from  home,  has  been  truly  praiseworthy,  notwithstanding 
the  drawbacks  to  which  we  have  alluded. 

The  Lutherans,  the  Presbyterians,  and  the  Baptists,  have 
each  a church  and  congregation  in  Cape  Town,  as  have  also 
the  “ South  African  Missionary  Society,”  a small  organization 


272  Africa  : Pu%t  and  Present. 

formed  in  1799 ; but  we  are  not  aware  that  these  denominations 
have  established  themselves  as  religious  communities  in  any 
other  part  of  the  province,  or  that  they  have  made  any  attempts 
to  propagate  the  Gospel  among  the  masses  of  the  people. 

It  is  to  the  missionary  societies  of  Europe  that  the  Western 
Province  of  the  Cape  Colony  is  chiefly  indebted,  in  common 
with  other  parts  of  Southern  Africa,  for  Evangelical  labours 
among  all  classes.  The  Moravians  had  the  honour  of  being 
first  in  the  field,  the  Rev.  George  Schmidt,  their  first  missionary, 
having  gone  out  to  the  Cape  as  early  as  1737;  and  notwith- 
standing many  interruptions  and  hindrances,  their  earnest, 
humble,  and  unassuming  labours  have  been  made  a blessing 
to  the  poor  Hottentots  and  other  native  tribes  among  whom 
their  missions  have  been  established.  Their  first  station  was 
Genadendal,  about  100  miles  from  Cape  Town;  and  a large 
pear  tree  is  still  shown,  said  to  have  been  planted  by  the 
honoured  missionary  just  mentioned.  Institutions  were  after- 
wards established  at  Groenkloof,  Hautkloof,  Elim,  and  other 
places,  which  continue  in  active  operation  to  the  present  day. 
A Moravian  missionary  has  also  been  employed  at  Robin  Island 
for  many  years,  under  the  auspices  of  Government,  in  ministering 
to  the  lepers  and  other  poor  sufferers  located  there. 

The  Evangelical  French  Missionary  Society  has  stations  at 
Wellington  and  Waggonmakers’  Valley ; but  the  principal  field 
of  labour  occupied  by  this  useful  association  is  in  the  interior. 
The  Berlin  Missionary  Society  has  also  a station  at  Zoar  in 
the  Riversdale  district ; but  most  of  its  agents  are  located  in 
Kaffraria  and  Natal.  The  Rhenish  Missionary  Society  occupies 
important  stations  at  Stellenbosch,  Worcester,  Tulbagh,  Sarepta, 
Steinthal,  Savon,  Wupperthal,  Amendelboom,  Schietfontein, 
and  Ebenezer,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Cape ; and  also  at  Kamaggas, 
Richerfield,  Bethany,  Nisbett  Bath,  Scheppansdorp,  Reoboth, 
Rode  Valk,  Wesley  Vale,  Barmen,  and  other  places  in  Namaqua- 
land.  Some  of  these  stations  beyond  the  Orange  river  were 
established  and  worked  for  several  years  by  the  Wesleyans,  but 
were  eventually  transferred  to  the  German  missionaries,  who 


Southern  Africa.  273 

appeared  better  able  to  attend  to  them,  having  fewer  claims 
upon  their  attention  in  other  places. 

The  London  Missionary  Society  commenced  its  labours  in 
South  Africa  in  1799,  and  has  made  its  influence  to  be  felt  for 
good  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  In  addition  to  the  vast 
fields  of  labour  which  it  has  so  long  and  so  usefully  cultivated 
in  other  parts  of  the  colony  and  in  the  distant  interior,  the 
following  stations  are  occupied  by  its  agents  in  the  Western 
Province — viz..  Cape  Town,  Paarl,  Zuurbraak,  George,  Pacels- 
dorp,  Dysselsdorp,  Oudtshoorn,  Avontuur,  and  Matjes  Drift. 
In  these  and  other  places  the  coloured  people,  for  whose  benefit 
the  agents  of  this  useful  association  chiefly  labour,  have  derived 
much  good  from  their  zealous  efforts. 

The  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  commenced  its  labours  at 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  1814  by  the  appointment  to  Cape 
Town  of  the  Rev.  John  M‘Kenny.  But,  strange  to  say,  such 
was  the  jealousy  of  the  government  authorities  at  that  early 
period,  that  the  missionary  was  not  allowed  to  preach,  although 
he  produced  credentials  of  the  most  satisfactory  character. 
After  teaching  school,  and  trying  to  do  good  in  a private  way 
to  the  utmost  of  his  power  for  a few  months,  Mr.  M‘ Kenny 
was  transferred  to  Ceylon,  and  the  undertaking  was  relinquished. 
In  1815  the  Rev.  Barnabas  Shaw  was  appointed  to  the  Cape, 
the  directors  of  the  Society  being  unwilling  to  give  up  the  idea 
of  taking  their  part  in  the  evangelization  of  Southern  Africa. 
The  same  difficulties  were  at  first  placed  in  the  way  of  Mr. 
Shaw  as  those  which  had  hindered  the  labours  of  his  prede- 
cessor, but  he  was  not  thus  to  be  prevented  from  executing  his 
Divine  commission.  Having  failed  to  obtain  the  Governor’s 
permission  to  exercise  his  ministry,  he  took  the  matter  into  his 
own  hands,  and  began  to  preach  without  it.  This  apparent 
irregularity  was  overlooked,  however,  for  the  time,  and  perhaps 
the  devoted  missionary  might  have  continued  his  labours  among 
the  British  soldiers  and  settlers,  to  whom  his  attention  was  first 
directed ; but  he  felt  he  was  called  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
the  heathen,  and  the  hindrances  in  the  way  of  his  gaining  access 

18 


274 


Africa:  Pad  and  Present. 


to  the  slaves  and  coloured  free  people  of  Cape  Town  were  so 
numerous  that  he  embraced  an  opportunity  which  presented 
itself,  and  set  out  for  Namaqualand. 

After  travelling  for  several  days  towards  the  distant  interior, 
Mr.  Shaw  providentially  met  the  chief  of  the  Little  Namaquas 
and  a number  of  his  people  on  their  way  to  the  Cape  to  seek 
a missionary.  Recognizing  the  hand  of  God  in  this  striking 
incident,  he  readily  consented  to  accompany  this  party  ot 
Africans  to  their  mountain  home  at  Khamiesberg,  and  proceeded 
at  once  to  plant  the  first  Wesleyan  mission  station  in  South  Africa, 
which  he  called  Lily  Fountain.  The  history  of  that  institution, 
and  of  the  efforts  which  were  made  to  raise  a tribe  of  natives 
from  the  degradation  in  which  they  were  sunk,  as  recorded  by 
the  missionary  himself  in  his  own  touching  and  simple  language, 
is  equal  in  interest  to  any  romance  that  was  ever  written.  And 
the  results,  as  the  present  writer  himself  saw  them  more  than 
half  a century  after  the  commencement  of  the  w'ork,  were  of  a 
most  gratifying  character. 

A few  years  later  the  w'ay  was  opened  for  the  establishment 
of  mission  stations  in  Cape-  Town  and  neighbourhood,  and  the 
foundation  was  laid,  broad  and  deep,  of  that  w’ork  which  has 
since  assumed  such  gigantic  proportions.  In  the  course  of 
time  commodious  churches  and  mission  premises  were  erected, 
congregations  collected,  and  schools  organized,  not  only  at 
Khamiesberg,  and  in  the  capital  of  the  colony,  but  also  at 
Mowbray,  Rondebosch,  Newlands,  Claremont,  Winberg,  Diep 
River,  Simon’s  Town,  Elsji^’s  River,  Somerset  West,  Strand, 
Terrington  Grove,  Robertson,  Lady  Gray,  Stellenbosch,  Raithby, 
and  other  places.  There  are  now  in  connection  with  the 
respective  Wesleyan  mission  stations  in  the  Western  Province 
of  the  Cape  Colony,  ii  missionaries,  35  places  of  worship, 
1502  church  members,  3661  scholars  in  the  mission  schools, 
and  9708  attendants  on  public  worship. 

The  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  differs  from  some  other 
similar  institutions,  in  that  it  seeks  to  promote  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  British  colonists,  soldiers,  and  sailors,  as  well  as  that 


Southern  Africa,  275 

of  the  heathen ; and  in  South  Africa  the  labours  of  its  pious 
and  devoted  agents  have  been  made  a blessing  to  all  classes 
of  the  community.  Some  of  the  places  of  worship  are  noble 
buildings,  the  new  Wesleyan  church  in  Cape  Town  being  the 
finest  ecclesiastical  structure  in  the  colony. 

The  Cape  Colony — Eastern  Province. 

The  remarkable  prosperity  which  the  Eastern  Province  of 
the  Cape  Colony  has  experienced  in  modern  times  may  be  in 
a great  measure  attributed  to  the  predominance  of  the  English 
elemebt  in  its  population,  resulting  from  the  arrival  there  of 
about  4000  British  settlers  in  1820,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Imperial  Government.  In  common  with  all  those  who  seek 
for  themselves  and  their  families  a home  in  distant  lands,  the 
emigrants  alluded  to  had  to  endure  many  hardships  and  priva- 
tions during  the  early  } ears  of  their  African  experience;  but, 
having  by  patient  industry  and  indomitable  perseverance  over- 
come every  difficulty,  they  generally  succeeded  well,  and  their 
descendants  are  in  many  instances  now  reaping  the  fruits  of 
their  parents’  toil.  This  large  importation  of  British  subjects 
into  a country  which  had  been  but  sparsely  colonized  by  the 
Dutch,  or  left  entirely  to  the  scattered  Hottentots  and  Eaffirs, 
has  given  an  English  aspect  to  society  in  this  section  of  Africa 
which  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  part  of  the  continent. 
Ihis,  together  with  other  phases  of  colonial  life,  will  more 
clearly  appear  from  a brief  description  of  the  principal  divisions, 
towns,  and  villages  of  the  Province. 

Fort  Elizabeth,  in  Algoa  Bay,  is  the  principal  port  of  South- 
Eastern  Africa,  and  that  through  which  most  of  the  goods 
imported  pass,  on  their  way  to  the  respective  colonial  towns 
and  villages  for  which  they  are  destined,  as  well  as  to  the  more 
distant  inteiior.  Here  also  the  wool  and  other  produce  of  the 
country  is  shipped  for  Europe.  There  are  as  yet  no  proper 
harbour  works  to  facilitate  the  landing  and  shipping  of  goods ; 
but  everything  has  to  be  conveyed  to  and  from  the  vessels  by 
surf  boats,  worked  by  the  hardy  Fingoes,  a tribe  of  Kaffirs  well 


276  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

adapted  for  the  purpose.  This  part  of  the  coast  being  frequently 
stormy,  and  the  surf  beating  upon  the  shore  often  violent, 
casualties  to  shipping  are  somewhat  common,  and  we  have 
known  many  sad  wrecks  take  place  close  to  the  port.  There 
is  also  a dangerous  rocky  point  called  Cape  Recife,  on  which 
a lighthouse  has  been  erected,  about  eight  miles  south  of  the 
harbour. 

Nothing  could  present  a more  cheerless  and  desolate 
appearance  than  Port  Elizabeth,  when  the  British  settlers 
landed  there  in  1820,  the  town  being  then  a mere  fishing 
village,  consisting  of  a few  wretched  huts  scattered  along  a 
Bleak  and  sandy  shore.  Nor  does  the  country  in  the  neighbour- 
hood improve  much  when  we  climb  the  heights  from  the 
narrow  piece  of  level  land  along  the  beach,  on  which  the  best 
of  the  houses  stand,  and  proceed  inland — the  scene  presented 
to  the  view  being  little  better  than  a series  of  sand-hills.  The 
town  itself  has  improved  very  much  of  late  years,  and  it  now 
presents  a respectable  appearance  from  the  shipping  in  the 
harbour.  It  contains  many  good  substantial  buildings,  as 
dwelling-houses,  stores,  and  warehouses;  also  a fort,  hospital, 
and  commodious  Episcopal,  Congregational,  and  Wesleyan 
churches.  Port  Elizabeth  is  500  miles  from  Cape  Town,  and 
eighty-five  from  Graham’s  Town,  and  contains  a population  of 
13,000,  including  the  European  residents  and  the  natives  who 
are  drawn  to  the  place  in  considerable  numbers  for  the  sake  of 
employment  This  town  gives  its  name  to  an  electoral  division 
of  the  Eastern  Province,  including  the  villages  of  Walmer  and 
Korsten,  the  tormer  of  which  is  six  miles  west,  and  the  latter 
four  miles  east  of  the  port. 

Uitenhage,  situated  about  twenty  miles  inland  from  Port 
Elizabeth,  on  the  Zwarkop  river,  is  a beautiful  town,  containing 
many  pleasant  residences,  which  generally  stand  in  their  own 
grounds,  surrounded  with  gardens,  orchards,  and  vineyards. 
The  soil  here  is  more  fertile  and  the  scenery  more  attractive 
than  in  the  coast  districts.  It  is  a place  of  considerable  trade 
and  commerce  ; and  there  is  a large  wool-washing  establishment 


Southern  Africa.  277 

in  the  neighbourhood,  at  which  many  hands  are  employed. 
Alexandria,  Humanedorp,  Darlington,  Colchester,  and  Jansen- 
ville  are  pleasant  and  interesting  vilfeges  situated  in  different 
parts  of  the  electoral  division  of  Uitenhage,  which  is  generally 
of  a rural,  pastoral,  and  agricultural  character.  The  town  itself 
is  well  supplied  with  places  of  worship  belonging  to  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church,  the  Episcopalians,  the  Congregationalists, 
and  the  Wesleyans.  In'  this  district  there  are  also  several 
important  mission  stations,  named'  respectively  Enon,  Hankey, 
Clarkson,  Bethelsdorp,  and  Krinsfontein — the  first  belonging  to 
the  Moravians,  and  the  rest  tO' the- London  Missionary  Society. 

Graham's  Town  is  regarded  as  the  capital  of  the  Eastern 
Province;  and  from  a- very  small  beginning  it  has  become  a 
city  of  considerable  magnitude  and  importance.  The  population 
has  decreased  somewhat  of  late  years,  however,  in  consequence 
of  numerous  removals  having  taken  place  to  new  and  rising 
towns  in  various  parts  of  the- country.  According  to  the  last 
census  it  amounted  to  6912.  It  is  situated  in  a pleasant 
valley,  about  600  miles  from  Cape  Town,  thirty  from  the 
nearest  point  of  the  sea-coast,  where  a small  harbour  has  recently 
been  formed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kowie  river,  and  eighty-five 
from  Port  Elizabeth.  The  journey  from  the-  principal  port  to 
the  city,  as  made  formerly,  over  rough  roads  and  high  hills, 
across  rocky  ravines  and  deep  rivers,  was  a formidable  affair; 
but  a railway  has  already  been  opened!  a part  of  the  distance, 
and  will  soon  be  completed.  Graham’s-Town  is.  well  laid  out 
with  wide  streets,  and  contains  many  good  dwelling-houses, 
stores,  warehouses,  and  public  buildings,  including  military 
barracks,  and  churches  belonging  to  the  Episcopalians,  the 
Congregationalists,  the  Wesleyans,  and  the  Baptists.  It  is  the 
centre  of  an  extensive  trade  with  various  parts  of  the  interior 
and  the  ox-waggons  and  other  conveyances  which  are  constantly 
coming  in  from  the  neighbouring  colonial  towns  and  villages 
give  it  the  appearance  of  considerable  commercial  activity. 

Bathurst  is  a pleasant  little  country  town  that  gives  its  name 
to  a district  which,  together-  with  Graham’s  Town,  the  villages 


278 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


of  Salem,  Farmer,  Field,  Riebuk,  Po7i  Franees,  and  other  places, 
is  now  included  in  the  electoral  division  of  Albany.  The  coast 
region  of  this  division,  called  Lower  Albany,  and  formerly 
known  as  the  Zuurveld,  is  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes ; 
but  the  highland  district,  or  Upper  Albany,  is  better  adapted 
for  sheep  farming,  which  is  the  principal  occupation  of  the 
settlers  in  these  parts. 

Graaff-Reinett  is  an  ancient  and  flourishing  inland  town,  rather 
more  than  150  miles  from  Graham’s  Town,  and  about  the  same 
distance  from  Port  Elizabeth.  From  its  position  and  importance 
it  may  be  regarded  as  the  capital  of  the  midland  districts  of  the 
Eastern  Province.  The  streets  are  laid  out  at  right  angles,  and 
planted  with  rows  of  orange  and  other  trees,  and  watered  with 
gently  rippling  streams  led  out  from  the  Sunday’s  river — an 
arrangement  which  is  cooling  and  refreshing,  especially  in  the 
sultry  months  of  summer.  The  town  stands  in  an  extensive 
basin  or  hollow,  surrounded  by  a distant  range  of  mountains, 
known  as  the  Sneeuwbergen,  and  is  indeed  “beautiful  for 
situation.”  It  contains  some  good  buildings,  and  is  well 
supplied  with  banks,  churches,  and  schools,  Dutch,  Episcopal, 
and  Wesleyan.  Graaff-Reinett  gives  its  name  to  an  important 
electoral  division  which  includes  the  villages  of  Murraysburg, 
Richmond,  and  Aberdeen.  This  is  pre-eminently  a pastoral 
region,  and  is  celebrated  for  its  extensive  and  excellent  sheep 
farms.  Compassberg,  rising  to  the  height  of  9000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  said  to  be  the  highest  mountain  in 
the  Cape  Colony,  is  situated  in  this  division,  and  the  top  of  it 
is  frequently  covered  with  snow. 

Somerset  {East)  lies  east  of  Graaff-Reinett  and  north  of 
Uitenhage,  and  is  distant  from  Graham’s  Town  about  eighty 
miles.  The  village  consists  of  a number  of  detached  and 
scattered  dwelling-houses,  with  a Dutch  Reformed  church  and 
a Wesleyan  chapel,  and  the  usual  offices  for  the  use  of  the 
civil  commissioner  and  the  resident  magistrate.  It  is  situated 
in  a beautiful  country  at  the  foot  of  the  Boshbergen,  on  the 
Little  Fish  river.  It  gives  its  name  to  an  extensive  electoral 


Southern  Africa. 


279 


division,  celebrated  for  its  grazing  farms  and  sheep-walks.  In 
the  mountain  valleys  agriculture  is  also  carried  on  to  a 
considerable  extent  This  division  includes  the  thriving  little 
village  of  Bedford,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Fish  river,  and 
the  settlements  of  Glenlyden,  Glenpringle,  and  other  pleasant 
localities  in  the  valleys  on  the  south  face  of  the  Great 
Winterberg  range,  where  the  Scotch  emigrants,  led  by  the 
poet  Pringle,  established  themselves  in  1820.  The  division 
of  Somerset  has  an  area  of  8000  square  miles,  with  a 
population  of  about  5000  whites  and  7000  coloured  persons, 
who  appear  to  be  fairly  prosperous  in  their  respective  avoca- 
tions. 

Fort  Beaufort  is  a town  of  considerable  importance,  forty-six 
miles  from  Graham’s  Town,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Kat  river, 
where  extensive  military  buildings  and  other  works  have  been 
erected,  with  a view  to  the  defence  of  the  eastern  frontier  of 
the  colony  in  the  event  of  Kaffir  wars,  which,  alas  ! have  been 
so  frequent  since  the  white  man  entered  the  country.  The 
electoral  division  of  the  colony  to  which  Fort  Beaufort  gives 
its  name  is  generally  mountainous  and  well  wooded.  It 
nevertheless  contains  several  fertile  and  well-watered  valleys. 
The  settlement  of  Stockenstrom,  in  the  Kat  river  valley,  is 
specially  favoured  in  this  respect ; and  the  coloured  people  of 
Hottentot  descent,  and  others  located  there,  have  prospered 
greatly  under  the  fostering  care  of  the  British  Government  and 
the  instructions  of  the  missionaries.  The  important  Wesleyan 
Training  Institution  of  Heald  Town  is  situated  in  this  division, 
and  it  has  been  made  a great  blessing  to  the  surrounding 
country.  The  population  of  the  district  is  said  to  be  about 
3000  whites  and  8000  persons  of  colour,  scattered  over  an  area 
of  1 200  square  miles. 

Cradock  is  a small  but  interesting  town,  which  stands  in  the 
centre  of  an  elevated  basin  on  a branch  of  the  Great  Fish 
river,  3000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  surrounded 
with  lofty  mountains,  which  in  the  winter  season  are  frequently 
covered  with  snow.  The  wild  region  which  forms  this  electoral 


28o 


Africa:  Past  and  Present, 


division  of  the  Eastern  Province  is  pre-eminently  a pastoral 
country,  and  over  its  extensive  plains,  dotted  with  isolated 
hills,  large  herds  of  springboks,  gnus,  and  other  wild  game  are 
frequently  seen  to  roam.  The  Twutafel  and  Thubusbergen,  in 
this  district,  are  remarkable  isolated  mountains,  which  when 
once  seen  can  never  be  forgotten.  Cradock  is  1 1 5 miles  from 
Graham’s  Town,  and  550  from  the  Cape. 

Colesberg  is  an  advanced  post  on  the  far  distant  northern 
frontier  of  the  Cape  Colony,  the  town  which  gives  its  name  to 
the  division,  being  situated  only  twelve  miles  south  of  the 
Orange  River.  The  entire  district  is  wild,  dry,  and  barren  in 
the  extreme ; but  since  the  formation  of  dams  to  preserve  the 
water  after  the  rains,  sheep  farming  has  been  carried  on  with 
considerable  success,  and  the  country  has  become  famous  for 
the  excellent  quality  of  its  wool.  The  other  towns  and  vil- 
lages included  in  this  division  are  Hanover,  Hope  Town,  and 
Middlebitrg.  The  soil  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  place  last 
named  is  more  fertile  than  in  the  uplands,  and  admits  of  culti- 
vation with  favourable  results.  Colesberg  is  245  miles  from 
Graham’s  Town  and  540  from  the  Cape.  The  entire  division 
comprises  an  area  of  20,000  square  miles,  with  a population  of 
about  12,000,  one-haif  of  whom  are  coloured  persons.  That 
rare  antelope  the  gemsbok  is  still  occasionally  seen  on  the 
southern  bank  of  the  Orange  river. 

Albert  is  the  name  given  to  an  extensive  electoral  division  of 
the  Eastern  Province, — in  honour  of  the  late  highly  esteemed 
Prince  Consort, — the  chief  towns  and  villages  of  which  are 
Burghersdorp,  Dordrech,  and  Aliwal  [North),  on  the  Orange 
river.  The  only  other  place  of  consequence  in  this  district 
is  the  large  native  reserve  of  Wittebergen,  on  which  several 
thousand  Fingoes  have  been  located  by  the  Government,  and 
among  whom  the  agents  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society 
labour  with  encouraging  results.  Albert  comprises  an  area  of 
8000  square  miles,  with  a population  of  about  16,000,  one- 
third  of  whom  only  are  whites.  The  territory  is  drained  by 
several  rivers  of  short  and  rapid  course,  locally  called  spruits, 


Southern  Africa. 


281 


which  rise  in  the  mountains  and  fall  into  the  Orange  river. 
The  land  generally  lies  high,  with  a cold  climate  in  winter,  and 
is  better  adapted  for  grazing  purposes  than  for  agricultural 
pursuits. 

Victoria  is  a remote  and  newly-formed  electoral  division, 
lying  between  the  Great  Fish,  the  Keiskamma,  and  the  Churnie 
rivers,  and  is  so  called  in  honour  of  the  Queen  of  England ; and 
the  capital  of  the  country  has  received  the  name  of  Queen's 
Town.  It  is  a highly  fertile  and  well-watered  region,  and  since 
its  separation  from  Kaffraria  by  Sir  George  Cathcart  in  1853,  it 
has  rapidly  filled  up  with  European  settlers,  to  whom  special 
advantages  were  offered,  with  a view  to  the  defence  of  the 
colony  against  the  inroads  of  the  warlike  Kaffirs.  The  other 
towns  and  villages  in  this  division  are  Alice,  Peddie,  Hamburg^ 
Wooldtidge,  and  Wittlesea.  Some  of  these  are  important 
military  posts,  at  which  strong  fortifications  have  been  erected ; 
and  they  are  all  mission  stations,  at  which  earnest  efforts  are 
being  made  to  instruct  the  natives  who  have  congregated 
around  them.  A large  number  of  Germans,  to  whom  grants 
of  land  were  made  after  the  Crimean  war,  were  located  in  some 
of  the  villages ; but  they  have  since  become  much  scattered. 
The  population  of  the  entire  district  is  estimated  at  14,000, 
three-fourths  of  whom  are  natives. 

The  last  district  to  be  noticed  in  our  brief  and  hasty  survey 
of  the  respective  divisions  of  the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  is  that  now  known  as  the  Diamond  Fields.  It  is 
situated  on  the  north-eastern  frontier,  along  the  southern  bank 
of  the  Orange  river;  and  the  land  being  comparatively  barren, 
it  was  of  little  note  till  a few  years  ago,  when  diamonds  were 
accidentally  found  in  the  gravelly  soil.  This  important  event 
soon  caused  a rush  of  people  of  various  comple.\ions  and 
nationalities  to  the  spot,  and  diamond  digging  has  been  carried 
on  from  that  day  to  this,  with  various  degrees  of  success ; one 
man  finding  a diamond  which  he  sold  for  ^^20, 000,  and  others 
being  perfectly  destitute.  Towns  and  villages  have  risen  up  as 
if  by  magic,  the  principal  of  which  are  Kimberly  and  De  Toifs 


282 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


Pan,  where  ministers  and  magistrates  reside  and  attend  to  their 
respective  vocations,  whilst  the  busy  multitudes  around  them 
are  anxiously  engaged  in  search  of  the  shining  treasure. 

We  must  now  proceed  to  give  a brief  account  of  the  means 
which  have  been  employed  by  different  Christian  communities 
to  provide  religious  instruction  and  the  means  of  grace  to  the 
various  classes  of  colonists  and  natives  in  the  Eastern  Province, 
residing  at  the  places  which  have  just  passed  under  review. 
And  although  the  character  of  the  population  may  vary  some- 
what, our  story  of  evangelical  effort  for  their  benefit  will  neces- 
sarily resemble  in  its  main  features  that  which  we  have  given 
in  relation  to  the  Western  Province. 

In  the  eastern  districts  of  the  Cape  Colony,  as  already  inti- 
mated, the  English  element  prevails  to  a considerable  extent ; but 
there  are,  notwithstanding,  a vast  number  of  Dutch  farmers 
and  settlers  resident  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  For  the 
spiritual  benefit  of  these  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  has 
made  arrangements  for  holding  religious  services  in  the  respec- 
tive towns  and  villages,  where  they  are  found  in  sufficient 
numbers  to  form  congregations,  that  they  may  worship  God 
according  to  their  own  forms  and  in  their  own  language. 
These  services  are  sometimes  held  in  court-houses,  school- 
buildings,  and  private  dwellings  ; but  of  late  years  commodious 
churches  have  been  erected  in  various  places,  and  more 
attention  has  been  ]>aid  to  the  coloured  people  than  formerly. 

The  Episcopal  Church  of  England  was  almost  unknown  in 
the  Eastern  Province  in  former  times  ; but  of  late  years  it  has 
been  very  different.  Aided  by  large  pecuniary  grants  from  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  England,  and 
from  the  colonial  chest  at  the  Cape,  the  Bishop  of  Graham’s 
Town  has  been  able  to  build  small  churches  and  plant  clergy- 
men in  most  of  the  principal  towns  and  villages  in  the  respective 
districts  which  we  have  mentioned ; and,  although  the  congre- 
gations are  in  many  places  small  and  feeble,  the  work  has  been 
prosecuted  with  commendable  zeal  and  diligence.  Nor  have  the 
heathen  been  forgotten  by  this  section  of  the  Christian  Church. 


Southern  Africa. 


2«3 


Since  the  capital  of  the  Eastern  Province  became  a cathedral 
city,  missionaries  have  been  appointed  to  labour  among  the 
natives  in  the  regions  beyond.  Our  pleasure  in  calling  to  mind 
this  fact  would  have  been  greater  had  the  agents  of  the  Propa- 
gation Society  employed  themselves  in  teaching  and  in  preaching 
to  the  heathen  the  simple  Gospel  of  Christ ; but  instead  of  this, 
in  too  many  instances,  they  manifested  their  adhesion  to  full- 
blown ritualism,  built  little  mimic  churches  of  wattle  and-daub, 
and  marched  to  and  from  them,  arrayed  in  gorgeous  priestly 
costume,  to  “show  the  people  Christianity,”  as  they  said,  rather 
than  to  teach  it  to  them.  At  this  the  natives  at  first  stared  with 
blank  astonishment;  but  at  length  a few  became  fascinated, 
and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  cause  of  Christ  has  been  thus 
hindered  among  the  heathen  in  some  places. 

It  is  to  the  evangelical  missionary  societies  that  the  Eastern 
as  well  as  the  Western  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony  are  mainly 
indebted  for  the  means  of  religious  instruction,  and  their  zealous 
and  devoted  agents  have  laboured  for  many  years  in  various 
parts  of  the  country  with  commendable  diligence  and  most 
pleasing  results.  Prosperous  stations  of  the  Moravian,  Berlin, 
Rhenish,  French  Evangelical,  Presbyterian,  London,  and  Wes- 
leyan Missionary  Societies  have  been  established  in  various 
places,  both  within  and  beyond  the  colonial  boundary,  and  no 
traveller  can  pass  through  the  country,  with  his  eyes  open, 
without  being  impressed  with  the  utility  and  importance  of  the 
labours  of  these  noble  institutions.  The  two  societies  last 
mentioned  have,  however,  been  most  extensively  engaged  in 
evangelistic  work  in  this  part  of  the  vast  continent,  and  it  is 
matter  of  regret  that  our  limited  space  will  not  admit  of  a more 
minute  account  of  their  operations. 

As  early  as  1799  the  eccentric  but  zealous  and  devoted  Dr, 
Vanderkemp  was  in  the  field  as  a pioneer  missionary  in  the 
service  of  the  London  Society,  and  in  after  years  he  was  followed 
by  a host  of  pious  and  laborious  men,  who  laid  the  foundation 
of  a great  and  good  work,  the  results  of  which  will  only  be  fully 
known  in  the  last  great  day.  For  many  years  the  eminent  and 


28| 


Africa:  Past  and  Present, 


good  Dr.  Phillips  was  the  general  superintendent  of  the  London 
Society’s  missions  in  South  Africa,  and  his  name  is  still  remem- 
bered with  love  and  gratitude  by  some  of  the  aged  converted 
Hottentots  and  others,  in  whose  interests  he  laboured  so  long 
and  so  faithfully.  He  and  his  brethren,  in  their  zeal  for  the 
welfare  of  the  aboriginal  races,  sometimes  found  themselves  in 
collision  with  the  government  authorities  on  social  and  political 
questions;  but  whatever  views  might  be  formed  by  different 
persons  on  the  respective  merits  of  the  questions  at  issue,  there 
could  be  but  one  opinion  as  to  the  motives  and  sincerity  of 
the  missionaries  in  their  efforts  to  promote  the  temporal  and 
spiritual  well-being  of  the  people  among  whom  they  laboured. 

The  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  commenced  its  labours  in 
the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony  in  1820,  simulta- 
neously with  the  arrival  of  the  large  body  of  British  settlers 
already  mentioned.  Indeed,  the  pioneer  missionary,  the  Rev. 
William  Shaw,  went  out  in  the  same  ship  with  a party  of 
Wesleyan  emigrants,  to  whom  he  ministered  during  the  passage, 
and  for  some  time  after  their  arrival  in  Africa,  as  their  chaplain, 
according  to  an  arrangement  with  the  government  authorities. 
The  work  was  thus  commenced  among  the  settlers,  whose 
spiritual  interests  have  ever  been  carefully  attended  to  by  the 
agents  of  the  Society,  whilst  at  the  same  time  they  have  embraced 
every  opportunity  of  proclaiming  the  good  news  of  salvation  to 
the  native  Hottentots  and  Kaffirs,  and  others,  both  within  and 
beyond  the  colonial  boundary,  without  respect  to  language, 
condition,  or  colour.  In  the  course  of  time,  as  the  work 
expanded,  additional  missionaries  were  sent  out,  new  stations 
formed,  congregations  gathered,  churches  organised,  chapels 
erected,  and  schools  established  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
on  a scale  and  with  a rapidity  truly  astonishing,  so  that  the 
results  of  sixty  years’  labours  may  be  contemplated  with  gratitude 
and  joy.  Some  of  the  educational  establishments  are  of  a 
superior  order.  The  Heald  Town  Wesleyan  Training  Institu- 
tion, like  that  at  Love  Dale,  belonging  to  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  is  worthy  of  the  highest  commendation. 


Southern  Africa.  285 

The  temporal  and  spiritual  benefits  resulting  from  the  labours 
of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  to  the  people  of  different 
tribes  and  languages  in  the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape 
Colony  cannot  be  tabulated but  some  kiea  may  be  formed  of 
their  magnitude  and  importance  from  the  following  brief  state- 
ment. In  the  Graham’s  Town  district  alone,  which  consists 
chiefly  of  colonial  circuits  with  a few  native  stations,  there  are 
39  missionaries,  native  and  European ; 80  places  of  worship, 
5709  church  members,  5568  scholars  in  the  mission  schools, 
and  23,011  adherents,  or  attendants  on  divine  service. 

British  Kaffraria. 

Although  that  portion  of  Southern  Africa  so  long  known  as 
British  Kaflraria  was,  a few  years  ago,  annexed  to  the  Cape 
Colony,  and  placed  under  the  same  form  of  government,  it 
possesses  so  many  features  peculiar  to  itself,  that  it  seems  to 
call  for  a brief  and  separate  notice.  It  comprehends  the  country 
lying  betw'een  the  Keiskamma  and  Great  Kei  rivers,  and  com- 
prises an  area  of  about  4000  square  miles.  It  is  the  region 
from  whence  issued,  until  finally  subjected  to  British  rule, 
those  hordes  of  Kaffir  marauders  who  devastated  the  frontier 
of  the  Cape  Colony  in  the  various  wars  which  occurred  from 
1806  to  1853,  actuated  by  the  love  of  plunder,  or  excited  to 
fanaticism  by  false  prophets,  acting  as  the  tools  of  ambitious 
and  designing  chiefs.  In  the  interests  of  peace  it  was  ultimately 
found  necessary  to  proclaim  this  region  British  territory,  and 
to  place  it  under  British  martial  law,  to  be  administered  under 
the  direction  of  the  Governor  of  the  Cape  Colony,  acting  as 
Her  Majesty’s  High  Commissioner. 

This  arrangement  was  first  made  after  the  war  of  1835-6,  by 
Sir  Benjamin  D’Urban;  but,  the  measure  being  disapproved 
of  by  the  home  government,  the  country  was  before  long 
restored  to  the  Kaffirs  under  certain  restrictions ; but,  after  the 
war  of  1846-7,  it  w'as  again  formed  into  a British  province,  by 
Sir  Harry  Smith,  who  was  then  the  governor  and  commander- 


286 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


in-chief  of  the  Cape  Colony.  At  the  same  time  King  William's 
lown,  on  the  Buffalo  river,  became  the  capital  or  principal 
town  of  the  district,  and  the  military  head-quarters,  a number 
of  public  buildings  being  erected  and  fortifications  established 
for  the  defence  of  the  province  in  the  event  of  future  outbreaks. 
The  principal  of  these  are  Forts  Hare,  Cox,  Glamorgan,  Pato, 
Grey,  Murray,  Izeli,  and  Keiskamma  Hoek,  at  points  which 
are  rapidly  becoming  prosperous  and  populous  villages.  East 
London,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Buffalo  river,  is  the  port  of  British 
Kaffraria,  and  important  harbour  works  have  recently  been 
completed  for  the  accommodation  of  the  shipping. 

The  bulk  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  extensive  territory  are  of 
the  Kaffir  race  called  Amakosa,  including  the  Gaika,  ’Tslambi, 
Amagonubie,  and  a few  smaller  tribes.  The  vacant  portions 
of  the  country  have  been  rapidly  filling  up  of  late  years,  how- 
ever, by  the  settlement  of  Europeans  on  lands  granted  to  them 
by  the  Government  on  favourable  terms,  with  the  understanding 
that  they  will  take  their  part  in  the  military  defence  of  the 
colony.  In  the  towns  and  villages  are  also  found  a number  of 
Germans.  This  class  of  settlers  was  originally  located  in  a 
chain  of  military  villages  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Buffalo 
river,  extending  from  East  London  to  the  east  point  of  the 
Amatola  mountains,  where  they  had  lands  allotted  to  them  on 
certain  conditions  in  consideration  of  the  services  rendered  by 
the  German  Legion  to  which  they  belonged  in  the  Crimean 
war  j but  they  have  become  much  scattered,  not  taking  well  to 
agricultural  pursuits. 

The  physical  aspect  of  British  Kaffraria  is  similar  to  that  of 
Lower  Albany,  having  a coast  region,  intersected  by  deep- 
wooded  valleys,  through  which  flow  periodical  rivers,  bounded 
at  a distance  of  about  forty  miles  from  the  sea-coast  by  a lofty 
mountain  range.  It  is  generally  a pastoral  country,  but  in 
many  places  well  adapted  for  agricultural  pursuits,  and  pre-  ^ 
senting  much  attractive  scenery,  and  well-wooded  ranges  of 
hills.  Water  is  more  plentiful  here  than  in  many  other  parts 
of  the  continent,  springs  and  fountains  in  many  places  making 


Southern  Africa.  287 

compensation  for  the  uncertainty  of  the  rivers,  some  of  which 
cease  to  flow  in  the  dry  season. 

The  towns  and  villages  of  British  Kaffraria  are  well  supplied 
with  churches  and  schools.  Most  of  the  religious  denomina- 
tions at  work  in  the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony  are 
at  work  here  also.  The  Church,  London,  Scottish,  and  Wesleyan 
Missionary  Societies  have  important  and  flourishing  stations  at 
St.  John’s,  Landillis  Kraal,  Keiskamma  Hoek,  Umhala’s  Kraal, 
Peetton,  Knapp’s  Hope,  Lovedale,  Mount  Coke,  and  other 
places.  We  have  not  the  means  of  ascertaining  the  statistics  of 
the  other  institutions ; but  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society 
reports  as  follows  in  connection  with  the  Queen’s  Town  district, 
which  consists  chiefly  of  stations  among  the  various  tribes  of 
Kaffirs:  missionaries,  native  and  European,  17;  chapels,  44; 
other  preaching  places,  263  ; church  members,  4065  ; scholars 
in  the  mission  schools,  4559  j attendants  on  public  worship, 
20,950. 

The  Colony  of  Natal. 

The  region  now  forming  the  colony  of  Natal  is  situated  on 
the  south-eastern  coast  of  Africa,  about  1000  miles  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  It  derived  its  name  from  the  circumstance 
of  its  having  been  discovered  by  the  Portuguese  on  Christmas- 
day,  1498;  but  for  a long  time  it  seems  to  have  remained 
unnoticed  by  Europeans.  At  length,  about  the  year  1822,  it 
was  visited  by  several  white  traders,  who  found  the  country  in 
possession  of  the  Zulus,  under  the  sanguinary  chief  Tshaka. 
This  distinguished  barbarian  was  killed  and  succeeded  by  his 
brother  Dingaan  in  1838 ; but  the  latter  having  treacherously 
massacred  a large  party  of  emigrants  who  had  made  their  way 
to  his  kraal  over  the  mountains  from  the  Cape  Colony,  he  was 
attacked  and  finally  destroyed  by  the  Dutch  Boers,  who  entered 
the  country  soon  afterwards  in  strong  force  to  avenge  the  death 
of  their  fellow-colonists.  ' The  Dutch,  after  several  sanguinary 
conflicts,  having  for  the  time  being  gained  the  ascendency  over 
the  savage  natives,  set  up  Panda,  the  brother  of  Dingaan,  as 


288 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


the  nominal  paramount  chief  in  his  place,  and  proclaimed 
themselves  as  lords  and  masters  of  the  land. 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  have  a correct  idea  of  the 
circumstances  which  led  the  Dutch  Boers  thus  to  attempt  a 
settlement  in  Natal,  and  to  justify  in  some  measure  the  action 
taken  by  the  British  Government  afterwards,  it  is  necessary 
here  to  give  a few  words  of  explanation.  The  said  Dutch 
Boers  had  previously  been  British  subjects  in  the  Cape  Colony; 
and  taking  umbrage  at  the  Act  of  the  Imperial  Parliament 
providing  for  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves  in  1834,  and 
being  otherwise  dissatisfied  with  British  rule,  they  sold  their 
farms,  and  left  the  colony  in  large  numbers,  declaring  their 
intention  to  proceed  to  the  distant  interior  and  establish 
themselves  as  a republic,  independent  of  British  control. 
Some  of  them  settled  in  different  places  to  the  westward, 
beyond  the  boundary  of  the  Cape  Colony ; and  others  pressed 
on  to  Natal,  which  they  regarded  as  an  eligible  locality  for  a 
peimanent  settlement.  It  was  a party  of  the  emigrants  last 
mentioned — at  the  head  of  whom  was  a Dutch  Boer  named 
Retief — who  fell  a sacrifice  to  the  treachery  of  the  sanguinary 
Dingaan,  and  whose  massacre  was  so  signally  avenged  by  their 
surviving  friends.  But  previous  to  this  event  a considerable 
number  of  English  adventurers  had  settled  at  Port  Natal,  and 
it  was  hoped  that  they  would  unite  with  the  Dutch  emigrants 
in  the  formation  of  a colony,  and  the  establishment  of  some 
form  of  civil  government ; but  as  they  had  formerly  disagreed 
amongst  themselves,  so  they  now  differed  with  the  Dutch 
farmers,  and  the  country  was  in  a state  of  complete  anarchy 
and  confusion,  when  the  British  Government  resolved  to  put 
an  end  to  the  strife,  and  prevent  the  still  worse  consequences 
that  were  likely  to  follow,  by  interposing  their  authority. 

The  leaders  of  the  Dutch  emigrants  to  Natal  were  in  the 
first  place  informed  by  despatches  from  the  Governor  of  the 
Cape  Colony  that,  being  British  subjects,  they  would  not  be 
allowed  to  relinquish  their  allegiance,  and  set  up  an  independent 
government  in  the  land  of  their  adoption;  and  that  as  British 


289 


Southern  Aft  tea. 

authority  would  soon  be  proclaimed  in  Natal,  they  must  be 
prepared  to  submit  to  British  rule.  To  this  the  Boers  demurred; 
and  amicable  means  having  failed  to  bring  about  a reconciliation, 
Captain  Smith  was  appointed  military  commander  in  Natal,  and 
directed  to  proceed  thither  overland  with  a detachment  of 
200  men  of  the  27th  Regiment  and  two  field  pieces,  and  to 
take  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  the  Queen  of 
England.  This  small  force  was  quite  inadequate  for  the 
purpose  contemplated ; but  both  officers  and  men  nobly 
discharged  their  duty,  by  acting  according  to  their  instructions 
to  the  utmost  of  their  power.  After  a tedious  and  fatiguing 
march,  they  reached  Natal  on  the  12th  May,  1842;  and, 
meeting  with  no  resistance  at  first,  they  quietly  hauled  down 
the  republican  flag  which  they  found  flying  at  the  Point,  and 
hoisted  the  Union  Jack  in  its  place.  They  then  fortified  their 
encampment  as  best  they  could,  and  called  upon  the  Dutch 
Boers,  who  were  in  considerable  force  at  a short  distance,  to  * 
submit  peaceably  to  British  authority.  This  they  refused  to 
do ; and  seeing  the  contemptibly  small  force  of  English 
soldiers  sent  to  subdue  them,  they  resolved  upon  resistance. 
Several  severe  scrimmages  followed,  in  which  the  British  force, 
being  largely  outnumbered  and  so  poorly  equipped,  suffered 
great  loss.  Consequently  Captain  Smith  resolved  to  act  on 
the  defensive  till  he  could  obtain  reinforcements,  and  he 
immediately  despatched  a messenger  overland  to  the  Cape 
Colony  to  report  the  position  of  his  small  detachment. 

After  enduring  a terrible  siege  in  their  laager,  or  temporary 
fortification,  for  a month,  most  of  the  time  having  to  live  upon 
a scanty  supply  of  biscuit  and  horse-flesh,  on  the  night  of 
the  4th  of  June  Captain  Smith  and  his  heroic  little  band  were 
gladdened  by  hearing  the  discharge  of  heavy  guns  in  the  offing, 
feeling  assured  that  assistance  was  at  hand.  Soon  afterwards 
Her  Majesty’s  ships  Southampton  and  Conch  entered  the  bay 
with  reinforcements,  which  were  safely  landed  under  the 
protection  of  a powerful  discharge  of  bomb  shells  from  the 
larger  vessel.  This  arrival  completely  overawed  the  rebellious 

19 


£90  Africa:  Past  and  Presait. 

Dutch  Boers,  who  offered  no  further  resistance,  but  fled  with 
all  possible  speed  at  the  approach  of  the  British  troops.  Natal 
was  proclaimed  a British  colony  on  the  12th  of  May,  1843; 
efficient  officers  were  appointed  to  carry  on  the  government ; 
emigration  began  to  flow  to  its  shores;  and  from  that  time  to 
this  the  settlement  has  prospered,  notwithstanding  the  numerous 
difficulties  with  which  it  has  had  to  contend. 

The  colony  of  Natal  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the 
Umzimculu  river,  which  separates  it  from  Kaffirland;  on  the 
west  by  a range  of  high  and  almost  impassable  mountains 
called  the  Quathlamba  or  Drakensbergen,  which  divide  it  from 
Basutuland  and  the  Orange  Free  State ; on  the  north  by  the 
Tugela  and  the  Umsungati  or  Buffel’s  rivers,  which  separate 
it  from  Zululand ; and  on  the  east  by  the  Indian  Ocean.  It 
has  an  area  of  about  25,000  square  miles.  The  proximity  of 
the  high  mountain  ranges  just  mentioned,  and  their  various 
ramifications,  gives  a general  character  of  irregularity  and 
roughness  to  the  surface  of  the  whole  country.  The  great 
basin  of  the  Tugela  river  includes  nearly  one-half  of  the  whole 
colony,  and  forms  an  elevated  plateau,  considerably  higher 
than  the  coast  region.  Besides  the  rivers  already  mentioned, 
the  Umgani  and  the  Umvoti  are  considerable  streams.  They 
are  none  of  them  navigable,  however,  being  very  irregular  in 
their  flow,  and  having  several  majestic  waterfalls,  some  of 
which  are  280  feet  high. 

The  soil  of  Natal  is  generally  fertile,  and  with  careful 
cultivation  it  produces  sugar,  coffee,  indigo,  arrowroot,  pine- 
apples, and  many  other  tropical  productions  in  the  coast 
region ; whilst  in  the  uplands  the  different  vegetables,  fruits, 
and  cereals  common  in  Europe  are  grown  to  a considerable 
extent.  There  is  also  found  almost  everywhere  good  pasture 
land,  excellent  timber,  and  a fair  supply  of  water.  The  climate, 
as  may  be  inferred  from  the  productions  mentioned,  is  almost 
tropical ; yet  it  is  considered  on  the  whole  very  healthy. 
Fevers  and  other  epidemics  are  almost  unknown,  except  in  a 
few  marshy  spots  near  the  coast.  Thunderstorms  are  frequent 


Southern  Africa.  291 

in  summer,  and  often  extremely  violent,  causing  at  times  serious 
loss  of  life.  In  winter  the  peaks  of  the  neighbouring  mountains, 
which  rise  to  the  height  of  8000  feet,  are  frequently  covered 
with  snow  for  three  or  four  months;  but  on  the  coast  the  range 
of  the  thermometer  throughout  the  year  is  from  53°  to  90°. 
The  summer  is  the  rainy  season. 

The  only  seaport  of  the  colony  is  the  spacious,  and  nearly 
land-locked,  basin  of  Port  Natal;  the  entrance  of  which  is, 
however,  impeded  by  a bar  of  shifting  sand,  on  which  the 
depth  of  water  varies  from  nine  to  fifteen  feet.  If  this  could 
be  effectually  and  permanently  removed,  the  harbour  would  be 
one  of  surpassing  excellency ; but  as  it  now  is,  vessels  of  light 
draught  only  can  enter,  large  ships  being  obliged  to  anchor 
outside  and  land  their  cargoes  in  boats,  at  considerable  incon- 
venience. As  seen  from  the  ocean.  Port  Natal  presents  to  the 
view  nothing  but  bold  headlands,  till  the  narrow  entrance  to  the 
harbour  is  approached  by  the  inward-bound  vessel.  The  town 
of  D' Urban  stands  on  the  margin  of  the  bay,  and  has  gradually 
risen  to  be  a place  of  considerable  magnitude  and  importance. 
The  capital  of  the  colony  and  the  seat  of  government  is  Pieter- 
maritzburg,  which  is  situated  in  a lovely  valley  about  fifty-two 
miles  inland  from  the  port.  The  other  principal  towns  and 
villages  are  Verulam,  Richmond,  Pine  Town,  York,  Harrismith, 
Ladysmith,  Weenen,  Edendale,  Indaleni,  Manda,  and  Umhlali. 

The  general  character  of  the  population  of  Natal,  originally, 
has  been  already  indicated  ; and  it  only  remains  to  say  that  it 
has  been  gradually  increasing  from  year  to  year  by  the  arrival 
of  British  emigrants,  the  influx  of  native  refugees  fleeing  from 
the  tyranny  of  the  savage  Zulu  king,  and  the  importation  of 
thousands  of  Indian  coolies  as  labourers  on  the  sugar  and 
coffee  estates.  According  to  the  most  careful  estimate,  it  may 
now  be  stated  to  consist  of  30,000  Europeans,  200,000  Zulus 
and  other  Kaffirs,  and  20,000  Indian  coolies. 

The  large  number  of  natives  resident  in  Natal  has  been 
represented  by  some  writers  as  being  exclusively  Zulu  refugees, 
who  have  fled  from  the  tyranny  of  their  savage  and  despotic 


2g2 


A/rita:  Past  and  Present. 


chieftains ; but  the  fact  is,  that  whilst  this  is  the  case  with 
some,  the  majority  of  them  originally  belonged  to  tribes  which 
occupied  lands  now  included  in  the  colony  of  Natal,  long 
before  the  advent  of  the  pale-faced  strangers,  who  were  con- 
quered by  the  cruel  Zulu  king  Tshaka,  and  driven  as  captives 
into  Zululand,  whence  .they  have  escaped  from  time  to  time 
and  returned  to  the  country  of  their  fathers.  This  circumstance 
gives  them  a claim  to  consideration  and  to  land  for  their  support 
in  the  home  of  their  ancestors,  which  they  would  scarcely  have 
had  as  mere  refugees.  Yet  the  colonial  authorities  have  been 
very  tardy  in  rendering  bare  justice  to  the  tens  of  thousands 
of  natives  whom  they  recognise  as  British  subjects  under 
their  control ; and  the  plans  adopted  for  their  settlement  and 
government  have  been  open  to  serious  objection,  as  being  alike 
injurious  to  them  and  the  colonists.  They  have  been  located 
on  the  poorest  lands,  set  apart  for  the  purpose,  at  such  distances 
from  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  settlers  that  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  native  labour  has  been  considerably  enhanced;  whilst 
they  have  been  congregated  in  dense  masses  far  too  large  to 
be  efficiently  governed  or  instructed,  as  many  as  30,000  being 
settled  in  one  location.  In  the  opinion  of  many  experienced 
colonists  it  would  have  been  much  better  to  settle  the  natives 
on  a larger  number  of  smaller  locations,  at  convenient  distances 
from  the  principal  centres  of  European  population,  that  they 
might  gradually  come  under  civilizing  influences,  and  each 
section  of  the  community  might  have  been  thus  made  mutually 
beneficial  to  each  other.  Nor  can  we  omit  to  point  out  the 
glaring  inconsistency  which  we  have  witnessed  of  attempting  to 
govern  the  natives  of  Natal  through  the  medium  of  their  own 
heathen  chiefs,  and  sanguinary  laws,  which  permit  witchcraft, 
polygamy,  and  numerous  bloody  and  barbarous  customs,  instead 
of  governing  them  by  British  law  as  British  subjects  in  an  English 
colony.  But  our  limited  space  does  not  admit  of  our  going 
into  further  detail  on  this  painful  subject. 

The  population  of  Natal,  of  every  grade,  has  been  indebted 
for  religious  instruction  and  Christian  education  chiefly  to  the 


Southern  Africa. 


293 


missionary  societies  of  Europe  and  America,  the  same  as  the 
other  colonies  and  territories  of  Southern  Africa.  The  Epis- 
copal Church  of  England  has  been  somewhat  unfortunate  in 
the  part  which  it  has  attempted  to  take  in  the  work.  As  early 
as  1838  a missionary,  a catechist,  and  a medical  man  were  sent 
to  Natal  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society ; and  an  earnest 
effort  was  also  made  soon  afterwards  to  evangelise  the  natives, 
under  the  same  auspices,  by  the  zealous  but  eccentric  Captain 
Allen  Gardiner ; but  war  breaking  out,  and  other  untoward 
events  occurring,  both  undertakings  failed,  and  the  work  was 
entirely  relinquished.  In  1853  Natal  was  constituted  a diocese, 
and  Dr.  Colenso  was  consecrated  the  first  bishop  ; but,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  confession,  instead  of  converting  the  natives  to 
Christianity,  the  bishop  was  himself  converted  to-  a certain 
species  of  infidelity  by  a Zulu  Kaffir,  and  proceeded  at  once, 
by  his  writings  and  teachings,  to  propagate  his  sceptical  views, 
encouraging  polygamy  and  other  heathenish  practices  among 
the  people  of  his  charge,  and  striving  to  discredit  the  Divine 
authority  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  which  he  had  vowed  to 
uphold.  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  secured 
the  appointment  of  another  bishop ; but  Dr.  Colenso  was 
determined  not  to  be  superseded,  and  the  colony  of  Natal  has 
for  several  years  exhibited  the  melancholy  spectacle  of  two 
rival  bishops,  and  a scene  of  wrangling  and  litigation  painful  to 
contemplate.  There  have,  nevertheless,  been  some  zealous  and 
devoted  clergymen  at  work ; and,  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Government,  and  with  the  aid  of  large  grants  of  money  from 
home,  churches  have  been  built  and  congregations  gathered  in 
several  of  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  colony,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  settlers  who  profess  to  belong  to  the  Church  of  England; 
and,  in  a few  places,  something  has  been  done  for  the  religious 
instruction  of  the  natives  also. 

The  Dutch  Reformed  Church  and  the  Scotch  Presbyterians 
have  ministers  and  churches  in  Pietermaritzburg,  and  a few 
small  congregations  in  other  places.  The  Free  Church  of 
Scotland  have  also  made  a beginning,  and  the  Independents 


294 


A/n'ca:  Past  and  Present. 


have  a flourishing  cause  in  D’Urbanj  but  the  American, 
German,  and  English  missionaries  have  done  most  for  the 
spiritual  benefit  of  both  colonists  and  natives  of  Natal.  The 
American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  sent  out  missionaries  to 
this  part  of  the  wide  field  at  an  early  period,  some  of  whom  were 
men  of  superior  learning  and  intelligence.  They  have  laboured 
chiefly  among  the  natives  on  their  respective  locations,  and 
their  labours  have  proved  very  beneficial,  although  the  number 
of  actual  converts  is  not  large.  The  number  of  missionaries 
now  at  work  is  thirteen,  with  twenty-eight  native  assistants. 
They  occupy  seven  principal  stations  and  twenty-one  other 
preaching  places.  The  number  of  church  members  is  524, 
and  1090  scholars  are  taught  in  twenty-three  mission  schools. 
The  number  of  attendants  on  public  worship  is  said  to  be 
1469.  The  American  missionaries  in  Natal  have  by  their 
literary  ability  and  persevering  efforts  rendered  good  service  to 
the  cause  of  God  by  the  part  they  have  taken  in  the  translation 
of  the  Scriptures,  and  by  their  earnest  remonstrances  with 
Bishop  Colenso  in  their  published  pamphlets  on  his  pet  theory 
of  polygamy  and  other  foolish  crotchets,  which  they  regarded 
as  damaging  to  the  cause  of  Christianity  in  the  field  of  mis- 
sionary labour  which  they  occupy. 

The  missionaries  of  the  Berlin  Society  labouring  in  Natal  are 
seven  in  number.  They  occupy  six  stations,  and  report  599 
natives  as  attending  public  worship,  470  of  whom  are  church 
members,  and  150  scholars  in  the  mission  schools.  The  Her- 
mannsburg  Missionary  Society  employ  eighteen  missionaries 
on  fourteen  stations,  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Some  of 
these,  however,  are  farmers  and  artisans,  sent  out  to  teach  the 
natives  the  arts  of  civilized  life  as  well  as  to  instruct  them  in 
religious  and  general  knowledge.  Three  hundred  and  fifty 
natives  are  reported  as  church  members,  and  sixty-two  as 
scholars  in  the  mission  schools.  The  Swedish  and  the  Nor- 
wegian Missionary  Societies  have  each  made  a beginning  in 
Natal,  the  former  reporting  one  missionary  and  four  lay  agents, 
and  the  latter  two  missionaries  and  thirty-seven  church  members. 


Southern  Africa. 


295 


The  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  commenced  its  labours  in 
Natal  simultaneously  with  the  commencement  of  the  settlement, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Archbell,  the.  first  missionary,  marching  overland 
with  the  British  troops  in  1842,  when  they  went  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  country,  and  ministering  to  them  as  well  as  to  the 
natives  at  every  opportunity.  As  emigration  set  in,  additional 
missionaries  were  sent  out  for  the  express  purpose  of  ministering 
to  the  spiritually  destitute  settlers,  as  well  as  of  evangelizing  the 
degraded  Kaffirs.  To  care  for  the  spiritual  interests  of  their 
fellow-countrymen  in  foreign  lands,  as  well  as  for  those  of  the 
aborigines,  has  ever  been  the  policy  of  this  Society,  as  already 
mentioned.  Hence  places  of  worship  have  been  erected, 
churches  organized,  and  schools  established  in  most  of  the 
towns  and  villages  of  Natal,  as  well  as  on  many  of  the  native 
locations.  Amid  numerous  difficulties,  the  important  work  of 
diffusing  a knowledge  of  Divine  truth  among  all  classes  has 
been  prosecuted  by  the  Wesleyan  missionaries  with  commend- 
able diligence  and  perseverance  from  year  to  year,  and  a pleasing 
measure  of  success  has  been  the  result.  A considerable  number 
of  genuine  converts  to  the  faith  and  hope  of  the  Gospel  have  been 
gathered  into  the  fold  of  Christ,  both  from  among  the  European 
settlers  and  the  natives,  some  of  whom  have  been  called  in  their 
turn  to  make  known  the  good  news  of  salvation  to  their  fellow- 
countrymen.  The  following  are  the  statistics  of  the  Wesleyan 
Missionary  Society  in  the  Natal  district,  according  to  the  last 
report: — Number  of  missionaries,  22;  chapels,  59;  other 
preaching  places,  324;  full  and  accredited  church  members, 
2317;  on  trial  for  membership,  429;  scholars  in  the  mission 
schools,  1488  j attendants  on  public  worship,  23,715. 

The  Orange  Free  State. 

When  such  a large  number  of  the  Dutch  Boers  resident  in 
the  Cape  Colony  became  dissatisfied  with  the  British  Govern- 
ment on  the  emancipation  of  their  slaves  in  1834,  as  already 
mentioned,  they  t7-eked  or  emigrated  northward  in  different 


296 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


directions.  Whilst  some  pressed  forward  and  crossed  the  lofty 
Drakensbergen  into  the  Natal  territory,  as  stated  in  the  last 
section,  others  settled  down  along  the  watercourses  of  the  vast 
plains  lying  between  the  Orange  and  Vaal  rivers.  This  country 
being  beyond  the  colonial  boundary,  tolerably  well  watered, 
with  extensive  pasturage  for  sheep  and  horned  cattle,  and  with 
here  and  there  a tract  of  land  capable  of  cultivation,  it  was 
quite  adapted  to  the  tastes  and  requirements  of  the  Dutch 
farmers.  Hence  the  number  of  settlers  rapidly  increased,  and 
they  proceeded  to  frame  laws  for  self-government,  entirely 
repudiating  any  control  or  interference  on  the  part  of  the 
authorities  of  the  Cape  Colony.  At  length  the  attitude  of 
these  Boers,  in  thus  proclaiming  their  independence  of  the 
British  crown,  and  their  harsh  treatment  of  the  neighbouring 
native  tribes,  attracted  the  notice  of  the  government  authorities; 
and  in  1848,  after  some  opposition,  and  one  or  two  conflicts  with 
oui  troops,  the  territory  was  annexed  to  the  British  empire  by 
his  Excellency  Sir  H.  Smith,  under  the  title  of  the  “ Orange 
River  Sovereignty.”  For  about  six  years  it  continued  as  an 
appendage  to  the  crown  of  England,  under  the  government  of 
the  Queen’s  representative  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  as 
“Special  Commissioner”  for  the  purpose.  In  1854,  however, 
the  clamours  of  the  Dutch  Boers  for  independence  and  self- 
government  became  so  loud  and  persistent,  that  the  sovereignty 
was  very  unwisely,  as  we  think,  given  up  to  them,  when  Sir 
G.  Clark  was  sent  out  as  Her  Majesty’s  Special  Commissioner 
formally  to  hand  over  the  country  to  the  settlers.  Earnest 
protests  were  sent  home  by  the  Cape  colonists  against  this 
impolitic  measure,  but  they  were  disregarded,  and  the  arrange- 
ment was  left  to  take  its  course. 

When  left  to  themselves  according  to  their  wishes,  the  Dutch 
residents  in  the  territory  formerly  known  as  the  Sovereignty 
proceeded  to  frame  a constitution  for  the  government  of  their 
little  commonwealth,  which  they  designated  the  “Orange  Free 
State.”  This  embraced  a president,  freely  elected  by  the  land- 
drost  and  heemraden  in  the  several  districts  into  which  the 


Souihern  Africa.  ig'j 

country  was  divided,  whilst  the  volksraad  exercised  legislative 
functions ; other  arrangements  were  made  after  the  style  of 
what  they  had  seen  in  Holland.  Although  the  authorities  of 
the  Free  State  have  kept  in  tolerable  harmony  with  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  Cape  Colony,  and  with  the  British  settlers  generally, 
the  new  system  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  worked  well ; and 
many  persons  who  feel  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the 
country  are  of  opinion  that  a well-devised  and  comprehensive 
system  of  federal  government,  embracing  the  whole  of  Southern 
Africa  under  British  rule,  would  be  the  best  for  all  parties. 
The  Boers  in  the  Free  State  have  frequently  come  into  unplea- 
sant collision  with  the  neighbouring  native  tribes,  especially 
the  Basutus,  when  both  parties  have  appealed  to  arms,  and  the 
British  Government  has  been  called  in  to  arbitrate  between 
them.  Hitherto  success  has  attended  their  efforts,  but  it  might 
any  time  be  otherwise.  Such  unhappy  incidents  are  always 
I'able  to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  whole  country,  and  jeopardize 
the  interests  of  all  classes;  hence  the  necessity  of  great  prudence 
and  discretion  on  the  part  of  the  governing  powers,  and  of  a 
wise,  uniform,  and  strong  government  for  the  whole  land. 

Although  the  country  is  nominally  Dutch,  many  Englishmen 
and  other  Europeans  have  been  led  by  various  circumstances 
to  settle  in  the  Free  State  as  ministers,  medical  men,  farmers, 
merchants,  tradesmen,  or  mechanics,  and  a stimulus  has  thus 
been  given  to  industry  and  enterprise,  which  might  otherwise 
have  been  wanting ; so  that,  on  the  whole,  fair  progress  has 
been  made  in  agricultural,  mercantile,  and  other  pursuits.  The 
country  has  gradually  filled  up  with  thrifty  farmers  and  other 
adventurous  settlers ; and  towns  and  villages,  of  different  degrees 
of  magnitude  and  importance,  have  arisen  in  various  localities. 
The  principal  of  these  are  Bloemfontein,  the  capital,  situated 
150  miles  north-west  ofColesberg,  on  a tributary  of  the  Modder 
river;  Smiihfield,  about  35  miles  north  of  Aliwal  (North),  near 
the  Caledon  river ; Fauresmiih,  on  the  Griqua  boundary ; and 
Winburg  and  Harrismilh,  on  the  high  road  from  Natal  to  the 
Cape  Colony,  which  passes  through  the  Free  State.  Cronsiadt 


2g8 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


and  Boshofax&  villages  but  recently  formed;  they  may,  never- 
theless, become  important  places  in  process  of  time. 

According  to  recent  returns,  the  population  of  the  Orange 
Free  State  consisted  of  about  14,000  whites,  Dutch,  English, 
and  other  Europeans,  and  7000  coloured  persons,  of  different 
tribes,  but  chiefly  half-castes,  exclusive  of  wild  Bushmen,  and 
migratory  Bechuanas,  Korannas,  and  others,  perpetually  on  the 
move.  The  religious  instruction  of  these  people  is  fairly  pro- 
vided for  by  the  different  agencies  now  at  work  among  them. 
The  Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  course  take  the  lead,  and 
they  have  erected  places  of  worship,  appointed  ministers,  and 
gathered  congregations  in  all  the  towns  and  villages,  and  in 
some  of  the  rural  districts.  The  Episcopalians,  aided  by  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  have,  for  several 
years  past,  had  three  or  four  missionary  clergymen  at  work  in 
the  Free  State,  and  a bishop  has  been  recently  appointed  to 
superintend  their  labours,  although  their  congregations  and 
adherents  are  necessarily  few  and  feeble,  from  the  sparseness 
of  English-speaking  inhabitants.  The  Berlin  Missionary  Society 
have  three  stations  and  four  missionaries,  aided  by  three  lay 
assistants,  at  work  in  the  Free  State ; but  their  operations  are 
as  yet  in  their  infancy. 

The  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  commenced  its  labours 
among  the  natives  in  that  part  of  Southern  Africa  now  embraced 
in  the  Orange  Free  State,  and  in  the  neighbouring  territories, 
long  before  either  Dutch  or  English  settlers  entered  the  country. 
And  when  the  changes  took  place  to  which  we  have  referred, 
and  the  “pale-faces”  made  their  appearance,  they  were  ready 
to  minister  to  them  as  well  as  to  the  natives,  as  they  had  oppor- 
tunity, according  to  their  wont.  The  Gospel  is  preached  in 
three  or  four  different  languages  by  the  Wesleyan  missionaries 
stationed  in  the  Free  State  and  neighbouring  territories.  Con- 
verts from  among  the  English  and  Dutch  settlers,  as  well  as 
from  among  the  wandering  tribes  of  Bechuanas,  Baralongs, 
and  Korannas,  have  been  gathered  into  the  fold  of  Christ,  and 
united  in  church  fellowship ; and  chapels  have  been  erected  in 


Southern  Afi'ica, 


299 


several  of  the  towns  and  villages,  and  in  other  centres  of  popu- 
lation. The  Society  has  been  induced  to  appoint  ministers  to 
some  of  these  places  by  the  liberal  offers  of  the  Free  State 
Government  to  make  financial  grants  towards  meeting  the 
additional  expenses  which  would  be  incurred  by  such  an  ar- 
rangement, and  the  results  have  been  satisfactory  to  all  parties. 
The  Bloemfontein  Wesleyan  district  comprises  all  the  stations 
situated  in  the  Free  State,  as  well  as  several  beyond  its  boundary, 
both  in  the  neighbouring  Diamond  Fields  and  in  the  regions 
beyond.  The  statistics  of  this  section  of  the  work,  according 
to  the  last  report,  are  as  follows:  Number  of  chapels,  34; 
other  preaching  places,  115;  full  and  accredited  church 
members,  3707  ; on  trial  for  membership,  857;  scholars  in  the 
mission  schools,  3189;  attendants  on  public  worship,  13,678. 

The  Transvaal. 

The  extensive  territory  in  Southern  Africa  known  of  late 
years  as  the  Transvaal  includes  all  the  country  north  of  the 
Vaal  river,  and  both  slopes  of  the  Magaliesberg  or  Cashan 
mountains,  which  form  the  watershed  line  between  the  Orange 
river  and  the  Limpopo  river  systems.  Although  its  limits  are 
not  by  any  means  well  defined,  they  may  be  said  to  lie  between 
latitude  22°  to  27°  south,  and  longitude  27°  to  31°  east,  and  to 
embrace  an  area  of  probably  not  less  than  70,000  square  miles. 
The  southern  face  of  the  lofty  range  of  mountains  alluded  to, 
presents  to  the  view  extensive  undulating  plains,  generally  well 
watered,  and  abounding  with  game.  To  the  north,  descending 
into  the  basin  of  the  Limpopo,  many  high  parallel  chains  of 
hills  are  met  with,  having  numerous  narrow  “ ports”  or  openings, 
through  which  flow  many  streams,  which  farther  to  the  north- 
west unite  to  form  the  Ouri  or  Limpopo  rivers.  These  streams 
are  generally  available  for  irrigation,  and  extensive  forests  cover 
a considerable  portion  of  the  territory. 

It  was  into  this  country  that  a large  number  of  Dutch  farmers 
“treked”  or  emigrated  in  1838,  when  the  British  Government 


300 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


took  possession  of  the  country  between  the  Orange  and  Vaal 
rivers,  known  as  the  Sovereignty,  as  well  as  of  Port  Natal. 
Perhaps  the  Boers  would  not  have  found  it  more  easy  to  shake 
off  their  allegiance  to  the  British  Crown,  and  to  establish  their 
independence  in  this  instance,  than  they  had  done  in  their 
previous  attempts,  had  not  the  English  Government  changed 
their  policy,  and  given  up  the  Sovereignty  to  their  fellow-country- 
men, as  mentioned  in  a previous  section.  The  establishment 
of  the  Orange  Free  State,  with  the  permission  of  Great  Britain, 
prepared  the  way  for  the  peaceable  formation  of  the  Transvaal 
Republic  in  the  territory  just  described.  A form  of  government 
was  organised  for  the  Transvaal  similar  to  that  which  had  been 
adopted  in  the  Free  State,  and  after  numerous  difficulties  had 
been  encountered,  a very  fair  commencement  was  made  with 
the  new  enterprise.  Tracts  of  land  in  the  most  favourable 
localities  were  measured  off  and  given  out  as  farms,  dwelling- 
houses  were  erected,  gardens  laid  out,  and  in  process  of  time 
towns  and  villages  sprung  up  in  various  directions.  The  popu- 
lation was  at  first  very  sparse  and  widely  scattered,  but  it  was 
increased  every  year  by  the  influx  of  emigrants.  Among  the 
new  comers  were  several  English  adventurers  from  Natal  and 
the  Cape  Colony,  whose  presence  gave  a tone  to  society  that  it 
would  not  otherwise  have  had;  and  there  were  other  circum- 
stances which  seemed  to  augur  well  for  the  future  of  the  infant 
Republic,  till  events  took  an  unfavourable  turn,  and  seriously 
militated  against  its  prosperity. 

Unhappily  for  them,  as  well  as  for  others,  the  Dutch  Boers, 
in  the  land  of  their  adoption,  cherished  the  same  antipathy 
towards  the  native  tribes  that  they  had  manifested  before  they 
left  the  Cape  Colony,  when  they  took  umbrage  at  the  English 
for  emancipating  the  slaves.  From  the  earliest  period  they  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  regarding  the  sable  sons  and  daughters  of 
Ham  as  under  the  curse  of  God,  and  as  in  fact  a different  race 
of  beings  to  themselves,  and  they  treated  them  accordingly. 
It  has  been  said  that  over  the  doors  of  some  of  their  places  of 
worship  in  the  old  colony,  there  was  written  the  inscription, — 


301 


Southern  Africa. 

“No  dogs  or  Hottentots  allowed  to  enter  this  church  !”  and  in 
the  course  of  our  travels  we  have  witnessed  some  painful  instances 
of  the  degradation  in  which  the  natives  were  held  by  the  stolid 
and  ignorant  Dutch  farmers.  In  the  Transvaal,  far  away  from 
the  influence  and  notice  of  the  civilized  world,  they  indulged 
the  propensities  alluded  to  without  restraint ; and  the  hapless 
aborigines  whom  they  took  as  domestic  servants  and  reduced 
to  abject  slavery,  and  the  wandering  tribes  of  natives  with  whom 
they  came  in  contact,  they  treated  with  the  utmost  rigour.  The 
parties  last  named,  however,  were  not  disposed  in  their  wild 
freedom  quietly  to  submit  to  the  cruelty  and  insults  of  the 
white  savages  who  had  entered  their  country,  taken  away  their 
lands,  and  commenced  to  shoot  them  down  like  wild  beasts. 
They  consequently  retaliated  as  best  they  could,  and  perpetual 
wars  between  the  natives  and  the  Boers  was  the  result  for  many 
years. 

At  length  the  affairs  of  the  Transvaal  Republic,  and  their 
relation  to  the  neighbouring  native  tribes,  arrived  at  such  a 
pass  that  they  could  be  endured  no  longer.  The  colonial 
authorities  at  the  Cape,  and  in  Natal,  clearly  saw  that  unless 
something  was  done  to  prevent  it,  the  whole  of  Southern  Africa 
would  be  involved  in  a war  of  races,  as  the  result  of  the  cease- 
less conflicts  between  the  Boers  and  the  natives.  The  serious 
complications  of  the  situation  were  laid  before  the  home  govern- 
ment, and  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone,  the  respected  Secretary 
for  Native  Affairs  in  Natal,  visited  England  in  1878,  when  it  was 
resolved  to  take  possession  of  the  Transvaal,  and  proclaim  the 
whole  country  to  be  henceforth  under  British  rule.  This  bold 
act  of  policy,  in  the  interests  of  peace  and  humanity,  was  carried 
out  with  a measure  of  courage,  promptitude,  and  discretion  truly 
admirable.  Sir  Theophilus  being  appointed  Her  Majesty’s 
Special  Commissioner  for  the  annexation  of  the  Transvaal  to 
the  British  Crown,  proceeded  to  the  scene  of  action,  and  with 
a small  detachment  of  English  soldiers  in  his  train,  and  his 
printed  proclamation  and  his  commission  in  his  pocket,  stood 
up  in  the  market-square  of  Potchefstroom,  the  capital  of  the 


3C2 


Afyica  : Past  and  Present. 


Transvaal  Republic,  and  declared  the  whole  territory  to  be 
annexed  to  the  British  Empire,  and  subject  henceforth  to 
English  law ; and  the  country  was  thus  taken  possession  of 
without  firing  a shot,  and  without  the  occurrence  of  any  act  of 
violence  whatever. 

Of  course  the  leading  Boers  and  officials  of  the  defunct 
Republic  stormed,  protested,  and  remonstrated ; but  all  this 
went  for  nothing,  as  a large  majority  of  the  population,  both 
Dutch  and  English,  were  disgusted  with  the  state  of  things  as 
they  had  seen  them  for  several  years  past,  and  hailed  with  joy 
the  advent  of  British  rule,  and  the  prospect  of  permanent  peace 
which  the  happy  change  of  government  presented  to  their  view. 
Nor  was  this  remarkable  event  less  welcome  to  the  neigh- 
bouring native  tribes  who  had  been  such  severe  sufferers  under 
the  former  administration,  for  the  British  name  is  everywhere 
revered  in  Africa  as  that  of  a nation  whose  influence  will  always 
be  on  the  side  of  liberty,  humanity,  and  peace. 

Whatever  view  may  be  taken  of  the  annexation  of  the  Trans- 
vaal to  the  British  Empire  by  politicians  of  different  creeds, 
from  a Christian  standpoint  it  appears  a measure  fraught  with 
good  to  the  teeming  millions  of  Central  Africa,  if  Christian 
England  does  her  duty  by  entering  the  openings  thus  presented 
for  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel  to  the  regions  beyond.  When 
we  look  at  the  character  and  extent  of  the  country  thus  placed 
under  British  rule,  and  the  facilities  which  are  thereby  afforded 
for  the  prosecution  of  evangelistic  work,  we  cannot  but  recog- 
nise the  hand  of  Divine  Providence  in  the  events  which  have 
recently  transpired. 

The  principal  towns  and  villages  in  the  Transvaftl  are 
Fotchefstroom,  the  seat  of  government,  on  the  Mooi  river, 
about  twenty  miles  north  of  the  Vaal ; Rustenberg,  a few  miles 
north  of  the  Magliesbergen ; Zoutpansberg,  the  most  remote 
European  village  in  South  Africa,  about  sixty  miles  south  of 
the  Limpopo,  and  1260  miles  north-east  of  Cape  Town.  Ley- 
denberg,  Origstadl,  Pretorious,  and  a few  other  villages  are  places 
of  less  importance,  but  they  will  soon  develope  themselves 


Southern  Africa,  303 

under  the  new  regime.  Ministers  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church  have  been  appointed  to  some  of  these  places  ; and  the 
Wesleyan,  Berlin,  and  Hermannsberg  Missionary  Societies 
have  for  several  years  past  had  agents  stationed  in  the  Trans- 
vaal; but  there  is  now  a loud  call  for  much  more  to  be 
done. 

ZULULAND. 

The  immense  tract  of  country  situated  to  the  north  of  Natal 
known  as  Zululand  is  separated  from  the  colony  by  the  Tugela 
river,  and  stretches  away  along  the  eastern  coast  almost  as  far  as 
Delagoa  Bay.  It  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Indian  Ocean, 
and  on  the  west  by  a continuation  of  the  Drakensbergen  and 
the  extensive  region  of  the  Transvaal.  In  its  physical  features 
and  general  aspect  the  country  differs  little  from  other  parts  of 
south-eastern  Africa.  The  surface  of  the  land  is  in  many 
places  extremely  broken,  wild  and  rugged,  with  here  and  there 
mountainous  districts  and  patches  of  forest  interspersed.  There 
are,  nevertheless,  in  various  directions  extensive  grassy  uplands 
w'ell  adapted  for  the  grazing  of  cattle,  with  intervals  of  rich 
valleys  and  plains,  which  yield  good  harvests  of  Indian  and 
Kaffir  corn  with  comparatively  little  labour.  The  rivers  are 
not  large  or  numerous,  nor  are  they  navigable  to  any  con- 
siderable distance.  They  are,  in  fact,  most  of  them  mere 
periodical  streams,  rolling  down  their  contents  in  torrents  after 
the  rains,  and  nearly  empty  during  the  dry  seasons.  Wild  and 
rugged  as  the  country  may  appear  at  first  sight  to  the  European 
visitor,  it  is  well  adapted  for  the  sustenance  of  the  numerous 
and  powerful  people  by  whom  it  is  inhabited. 

The  history  of  this  country  and  of  its  savage  and  warlike 
people  since  they  came  under  the  notice  of  Europeans  has 
been  romantic  and  tragic  in  the  extreme,  as  may  be  readily 
imagined  by  the  incidental  mention  made  of  them  in  previous 
pages  ; and  their  true  character  has  been  more  fully  revealed 
in  the  recent  fearful  war,  which  has  desolated  so  many  happy 
homes.  Apparently  to  serve  the  purpose  of  party  politics,  many 
well-meaning  persons  in  England  have  severely  condemned  the 


304 


A/rLa : Past  and  Preient, 


men  and  the  measures  by  which  they  allege  that  hostilities  were 
precipitated.  In  their  ignorance  of  the  real  facts  of  the  case, 
they  would  have  had,  by  the  adoption  of  mild  and  pacific 
measures,  the  bloodthirsty  heathen  Zulu  king  kept  in  authority 
and  power,  to  the  continued  injury  of  his  people,  and  the  per- 
petual danger  of  the  neighbouring  colonists.  It  only  requires 
a slight  acquaintance  with  the  real  character  and  the  ante- 
cedents of  the  notorious  Cetewayo  to  convince  any  one  of  the 
impossibility  of  peace  and  security  whilst  he  continued  to 
exercise  his  savage,  cruel,  and  sanguinary  rule  in  Zululand. 

In  taking  a retrospective  glance  at  the  career  of  this  remark- 
able personage,  we  may  observe  that  it  was  not  without  a 
struggle  that  he  ascended  the  throne  of  his  ancestors ; nor 
would  he  ever  have  attained  to  that  eminence  if  he  had  not 
been  aided  by  the  English.  Cetewayo  was  not  the  oldest  son 
of  Panda,  and  on  the  death  of  the  father  there  was  a fearful 
contest  for  the  crown  of  the  fallen  monarch.  War  was  at  once 
declared  between  the  two  sons  and  their  respective  adherents. 
In  the  interests  of  peace  and  good  government  the  neighbour- 
ing colony  of  Natal  declared  in  favour  of  Cetewayo,  believing 
him  to  be  the  most  likely  of  the  two  to  become  the  ruler  of  the 
Zulu  people.  This  brought  the  struggle  to  an  end,  and  the 
elected  prince  was  formally  crowned  by  Sir  Theophilus  Shep- 
stone  in  the  name  of  Queen  Victoria,  Cetewayo  solemnly 
promising  to  reform  the  government  of  Zululand  by  discoun- 
tenancing witchcraft,  war,  and  bloodshed,  etc.,  and  by  admitting 
traders  and  teachers  into  the  country  to  promote  the  general 
welfare  of  the  people. 

The  imposing  ceremony  of  the  coronation  was  scarcely  over, 
however,  and  the  government  officers  and  English  visitors 
returned  to  Natal,  when  the  wily  Cetewayo  laughed  in  his 
sleeve,  and  commenced  a course  of  conduct  directly  opposite 
to  that  which  he  had  promised.  Under  the  plea  of  watching 
and  checking  the  Dutch  Boers  of  the  Transvaal,  of  whom  he 
was  exceedingly  jealous,  and  with  whom  he  had  some  serious 
misunderstandings  on  matters  relating  to  lands  and  boundary 


305 


Southern  Africa. 

lines,  he  began  at  once  to  reorganize  and  strengthen  his  stand- 
ing army.  He  told  his  subordinate  chiefs  and  principal  warriors 
that  they  would  soon  have  to  fight  with  white  men ; that  they 
must  arm  themselves  with  rifles,  and  practise  the  use  of  shorter 
assagais,  so  as  to  use  them  in  hand-to-hand  fighting,  instead  of 
throwing  them  as  formerly ; and  that  they  must  improve  their 
drill  after  the  manner  of  Europeans.  At  the  same  time  orders 
were  issued  for  the  enrolment  in  the  army  of  all  Zulu  youths 
of  sixteen  years  of  age  and  upwards,  whilst  messengers  were 
sent  in  every  direction,  both  among  the  British  colonists  and 
the  Portuguese  of  Delagoa  Bay,  to  purchase  firearms  and 
ammunition.  Hundreds  of  Zulus  went  off  to  work  at  the 
diamond  fields  and  on  the  railroads  in  the  Cape  Colony,  for 
the  express  purpose  of  purchasing  rifles  with  their  earnings; 
and  they  no  sooner  possessed  the  coveted  weapon  than  they 
returned  home,  to  present  themselves  before  the  despotic 
Cetewayo  to  receive  his  commendation  for  what  they  had 
done.  On  a careful  calculation,  it  is  believed  that  upwards  of 
1 5,000  rifles,  with  a corresponding  amount  of  ammunition,  were 
thus  brought  into  Zululand  in  the  course  of  a year  or  two,  from 
the  time  that  Cetewayo  commenced  his  rule. 

Nor  did  the  Zulu  king  discourage  the  practice  of  witchcraft, 
polygamy,  cold-blooded  murder,  and  other  heathen  rites,  as 
he  had  promised  to  do.  He  rather  encouraged  them,  and  the 
mere  mention  of  some  of  his  own  acts  of  cruelty  and  blood- 
shedding,  by  decapitating,  spearing,  and  otherwise  putting  to 
death  his  unoffending  subjects,  notwithstanding  the  remon- 
strances of  the  British  Government,  might  well  horrify  the 
reader.  On  one  occasion  when  Cetewayo  had  cruelly  put  to 
death  a whole  regiment  of  young  girls,  numbering  about  500, 
because  they  refused,  at  his  bidding,  to  accept  as  husbands  a 
regiment  of  old  men,  worn  out  in  military  service.  Sir  Henry 
Bulwer,  the  Governor  of  Natal,  sent  an  earnest  but  friendly 
remonstrance.  But  how  was  it  received  ? His  sable  majesty 
said  to  the  messenger,  “ Tell  the  white  man  that  he  rules  in 
Natal,  and  I rule  here.  I do  not  tell  him  how  he  should 


20 


3o6 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


govern,  and  he  must  not  tell  me  how  I am  to  govern.  What 
have  I done  ? I have  not  begun  to  kill  yet ; I shall  begin 
soon ; but  this  is  nothing.” 

Cetewayo  was,  moreover,  so  impulsive,  passionate,  capricious, 
and  unreliable,  that  no  dependence  could  be  placed  upon  his 
word  or  professions  of  friendship.  At  one  time  he  encouraged 
missionaries  to  settle  in  Zululand,  at  another  time  he  dismissed 
them  unceremoniously  from  the  country.  When  a few  Zulu 
converts  to  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  had  been  gathered  into  the 
fold  of  Christ,  and  the  king’s  permission  was  asked  for  their 
baptism,  he  positively  refused,  declaring  that  none  of  his  people 
should  become  Christians,  because  the  white  man’s  religion 
made  men’s  hearts  soft  and  tender  like  those  of  women,  and 
unfitted  them  for  fighting,  which  was  their  proper  business. 

At  length  matters  came  to  a crisis.  For  seven  years  Cetewayo 
was  believed  to  have  been  more  or  less  concerned,  in  an  under- 
handed manner,  with  every  disturbance  which  had  taken  place 
among  the  surrounding  native  tribes ; and  he  was  supposed  to 
have  instigated  by  hostile  messages  the  Galeka  and  other  Kaffirs 
to  rebel  against  the  British  Government  in  1877,  whilst  at  the 
same  time  he  was  in  communication  with  the  chief  Sekukuni 
and  his  people,  encouraging  them  in  their  hostility  to  the  Dutch 
Boers  in  the  Transvaal.  In  1878  he  had  increased  his  standing 
army  to  about  50,000,  one-half  of  his  warriors  being  armed 
with  rifles,  and  the  other  with  assagais  and  shields.  This  grand 
preparation  was  made  ostensibly  to  attack  the  Dutch  Boers,  in 
consequence  of  their  having  claimed  land  which  he  alleged 
belonged  to  him,  but  in  reality  to  be  ready  for  any  deed  of 
daring  and  of  blood.  Just  at  this  time  the  news  was  brought 
to  Cetewayo  of  the  proclamation  of  British  rule  in  the  Transvaal, 
when  he  expressed  his  bitter  disappointment,  and  roared  like 
a lion  robbed  of  his  prey.  He  immediately  ordered  the  mes- 
senger to  be  put  to  death ; but  his  principal  chiefs  interposed 
to  save  the  man’s  life.  “Tell  Somtseu”  (the  Zulu  name  for 
Sir  T.  Shepstone),  exclaimed  the  enraged  monarch,  “ that  it  is 
well  he  sent  when  he  did,  for  if  he  had  been  a week  later  I 


Southern  Africa.  307 

should  have  made  a clean  sweep  of  the  land  from  the  Drakens- 
berg to  the  Buffalo.” 

Shortly  after  this,  in  the  month  of  October,  Sir  T.  Shepstone 
went  to  the  border  to  meet,  by  appointment,  the  Indunas  of 
Cetewayo  to  discuss  the  question  of  the  long-disputed  boundary 
line  between  Zululand  and  the  Transvaal,  which  it  was  desirable 
to  have  settled.  To  this  meeting  the  Zulus,  contrary  to  their 
practice  in  such  cases,  came  armed;  and  before  the  conference 
fairly  commenced  a shot  was  fired  which  passed  within  a few 
inches  of  Sir  T.  Shepstone’s  head  ! This  was  said  to  have  been 
an  accident ; but  the  spirit  and  bearing  of  the  Zulu  warriors 
was  the  very  contrary  of  pacific.  Sir  Theophilus  offered  them 
the  boundary  which  has  since  been  fixed  by  Sir  Bartle  Frere, 
but  they  indignantly  rejected  it,  and  laid  claim  to  the  whole 
country  now  included  in  the  Utrecht  division,  and  half  of  the 
Wakerstroom  and  Lydenburg  divisions,  to  which  they  had  no 
just  claim  whatever. 

The  meeting  just  mentioned  broke  up  without  any  satisfactory 
arrangement ; and  Cetewayo  and  his  host  of  savage  warriors, 
disappointed  in  their  intended  attack  on  the  Dutch  Boers, 
seemed  determined  to  fight.  Both  Natal  and  the  Transvaal 
were  threatened;  and  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  Her  Majesty’s  High 
Commissioner,  who  was  already  in  Natal,  thought  the  time  was 
come  when  some  understanding  should  be  arrived  at  with  the 
Zulu  king.  He  therefore  sent  to  Cetewayo  requiring  the  per- 
formance of  the  promises  which  he  made  on  the  various  points 
already  mentioned,  when  he  was  placed  in  power  by  the  inter- 
vention of  the  British  Government.  No  proper  attention  being 
paid  to  these  demands,  nor  to  the  ultimatum  by  which  they 
were  followed,  war  was  declared,  the  appalling  particulars  of 
which  will  be  fresh  in  the  reader’s  memory. 

The  first  sad  event,  which  occurred  on  the  22  nd  January, 
1879,  when  a column  of  British  troops  was  completely  sur- 
rounded and  almost  entirely  annihilated  at  Insandula  by  a vastly 
superior  force  of  savage  Zulu  warriors,  will  never  be  forgotten 
by  those  most  immediately  concerned.  On  that  mournful 


3o8 


Africa : Past  and  Present, 


occasion  850  British  and  colonial  troops,  officers  and  men,  fell 
dead  on  the  field  of  battle,  besides  a number  of  native  auxiliaries, 
making  the  total  loss  to  our  arms  not  less  than  1000.  Indeed, 
very  few  escaped  the  general  carnage  to  tell  the  sad  story ; and 
when  the  news  reached  Natal,  the  Cape  Colony,  and  England, 
many  households  were  filled  with  lamentation,  mourning,  and 
woe.  Preparations  were  now  made  for  the  vigorous  prosecution 
of  the  war,  for  there  was  a deep  and  widespread  conviction 
that  there  would  be  no  peace  or  security  for  the  British  posses- 
sions in  South  Africa  unless  the  notorious  Cetewayo  and  his 
savage  host  of  Zulu  warriors  were  thoroughly  subdued.  Troops 
were  accordingly  sent  from  England,  as  well  as  from  various 
parts  of  Natal  and  the  Cape  Colony,  and  the  British  army  was 
soon  in  a position  to  advance. 

The  sad  disaster  just  mentioned  was  followed  by  an  engage- 
ment on  the  29th  March,  when  a signal  victory  was  obtained 
over  the  Zulus  by  British  troops  under  the  command  of  General 
Lord  Chelmsford,  at  the  Kambula  camp,  when  on  their  way  to 
relieve  Colonel  Pearson,  who,  with  his  brave  company  of  1300 
men,  had  been  hemmed  in  by  the  enemy  at  Etshowe  for  more 
than  a month.  A brief  account  of  this  engagement,  as  given 
by  the  Rev.  T.  Woolmer,  a Wesleyan  chaplain,  who  nobly 
accompanied  the  troops  to  minister  to  the  sick  and  wounded, 
may  serve  to  throw  some  light  on  the  character  of  this  fearful 
contest : — “ On  Saturday  morning  early,  we  could  see  dense 
masses  of  Zulus  in  the  distance  steadily  approaching.  They 
came  nearer  and  nearer,  and  every  man  in  the  camp  became 
aware  that  it  was  their  intention  to  attack.  I was  on  the  left 
side  of  the  waggon  laager,  where  the  hospital  was,  and  watched 
there  for  a long  time  expecting  a rush.  At  twenty  minutes  to  two, 
the  first  shot  was  fired  by  horsemen  sent  out  to  skirmish  ; the 
Zulus  rushed  upon  them  with  great  determination,  and  they 
returned  to  the  laager.  The  guns  then  began  to  play  upon  the 
enemy  with  terrible  effect.  The  Zulus  fought  bravely,  coming 
on  in  skirmishing  order,  and  taking  advantage  of  any  cover 
they  could  get.  There  was  a ledge  of  rocks  not  far  from  the 


Southern  Africa, 


30^ 

fort,  from  which  shelter  they  kept  up  a heavy  fire  upon  the 
laager.  The  bullets  flew  thick  over  us  while  we  were  attending 
to  the  wounded,  and  at  one  corner  of  the  fort,  seven  of  our 
men  were  shot  dead.  The  leader  of  the  Zulus  here,  who  was 
a hundred  yards  ahead  of  his  men,  was  the  handsomest  native 
■ I have  ever  seen,  of  a light  yellow  colour, — the  aristocratic 
colour,  I believe,  in  Zululand.  He  must  be  a chief,  I should 
think,  of  high  rank.  At  last,  about  4.30  p.m.,  the  Zulus 
began  to  retire  on  all  sides.  Then  our  cavalry,  both  English 
and  native,  commenced  the  pursuit.  They  were  cheered  as 
they  filed  out  of  the  fort  They  chased  the  enemy  for  seven 
or  eight  miles.  I should  think  that  altogether  more  than  3000 
Zulus  were  killed.  The  soldiers  have  been  busy  to-day  burying 
them.  I have  been  over  the  battle-field,  and  the  sight  is 
dreadful.  For  miles  along  the  road  guns  have  been  picked 
up  which  had  belonged  to  the  ill-fated  24th  who  fell  at  Insan- 
dula,”  etc. 

Before  the  news  of  this  important  victory  reached  England, 
Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  had  been  appointed  to  the  supreme  civil 
and  military  command  in  Zululand,  Natal,  and  the  Transvaal. 
Some  time  elapsed  before  he  reached  South  Africa  to  relieve 
Sir  Bartle  Frere  and  Lord  Chelmsford  respectively,  and  when 
he  landed  in  Natal  he  found  that  the  British  army,  which  had 
been  largely  increased  by  arrivals  from  England,  was  marching 
upon  Ulundi,  Cetewayo’s  great  war  kraal  or  capital  of  his  king- 
dom. Just  before  Lord  Chelmsford  and  his  army  reached  that 
place,  whilst  encamped  in  a favourable  position,  they  were 
surrounded  by  the  combined  host  of  Zulu  warriors,  led  on  by 
the  king  himself.  An  action  immediately  took  place,  and  after 
a fierce  fight  of  an  hour  or  two  the  enemy  was  completely 
routed  and  fled  in  every  direction,  hotly  pursued  by  the  British 
and  Colonial  cavalry.  About  800  Zulus  were  left  dead  on  the 
field,  whilst  the  British  loss  was  comparatively  small.  The 
next  day  Ulundi,  the  king’s  great  place,  was  reduced  to  ashes, 
as  were  all  the  other  kraals  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  victory  was 
complete. 


310 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  hastened  up  the  country  to  finish  the 
work  so  auspiciously  begun,  and  Lord  Chelmsford  being  re- 
lieved of  his  command,  returned  to  England,  as  did  also 
several  other  officers  and  a considerable  portion  of  the  British 
army,  the  Zulu  war  being  considered  virtually  at  an  end. 
Cetewayo  was  still  at  large,  however,  having  fled  with  a few 
of  his  followers ; and  as  there  appeared  to  be  no  prospect  of 
peace  whilst  this  was  the  case,  notwithstanding  the  submission 
of  many  of  his  influential  but  subordinate  chiefs  and  people, 
detachments  were  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitive  king.  At 
length,  on  the  28th  of  August,  he  was  captured,  to  the  joy  of 
all  who  knew  his  ferocious  character  and  sanguinary  career. 
There  was  something  rather  romantic  in  the  circumstances 
attending  this  important  event.  Lord  Gifford  having  received 
information  that  Cetewayo  was  lying  utterly  prostrate  in  a kraal 
situated  in  the  north-west  of  the  Ngomo  forest,  with  a follow- 
ing too  weak  to  offer  any  serious  resistance,  sent  for  Major 
Martin,  who  came  with  his  dragoons  and  surrounded  the  king’s 
hiding  place.  Cetewayo  and  his  followers  surrendered  at  once, 
but  on  their  march  to  the  head-quarters  at  Ulundi  they  gave 
their  captors  some  trouble,  eleven  of  the  king’s  attendants 
attempting  to  make  their  escape,  six  of  whom  succeeded  in 
getting  away,  the  remainder  being  shot  down,  the  king  himself 
frequently  becoming  restive  and  refused  to  go  any  further; 
but  he  was  urged  forward,  and  after  resting  for  a short  time, 
first  at  Ulundi  and  then  at  Maritzburg,  he  was  put  on  board 
a ship  bound  for  the  Cape  and  safely  lodged  in  the  castle  at 
Cape  Town  on  Monday,  the  15th  of  September,  1879. 

The  Zulu  war  being  now  ended,  several  English  regiments 
returned  home,  and  the  survivors  belonging  to  various  volunteer 
corps,  who  had  gladly  pressed  forward  to  the  front  in  defence 
of  their  country,  were  relieved  from  further  service.  The  parties 
last  named  were  generally  received  by  their  friends  and  fellow- 
countrymen  at  their  respective  locations  with  the  liveliest 
demonstrations  of  gratitude  and  joy.  This  was  especially  the 
case  with  regard  to  a detachment  of  native  cavalry,  about  sixty 


Southern  Africa,  3 1 1 

in  number,  who  went  forth  from  the  Wesleyan  Mission  Station 
at  Edendale,  at  the  commencement  of  the  war,  and  who  sen  ed 
faithfully  and  efficiently  through  the  entire  campaign,  including 
the  great  battles  of  Insandula,  Zlobane,  Kambula,  and  Ulundi, 
and  returned  to  their  homes  with  the  loss  of  only  three  or  four 
of  their  number.  Their  frUnds  gave  them  a grand  reception  at 
a public  tea-meeting  in  the  schoolroom,  which  was  splendidly 
decorated  for  the  occasion.  Several  beautiful  pieces  were  sung 
by  the  native  choir,  and  impressive  speeches  were  delivered  by 
the  volunteers  themselves,  giving  their  experience  in  the  field 
of  battle,  and  stating  how  they  trusted  in  God  and  kept  up  their 
meetings  for  prayer  and  praise  in  all  their  encampments. 

The  testimony  given  by  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Natal, 
who  was  present  at  the  meeting  alluded  to,  is  worthy  of  per- 
manent record.  The  following  is  a condensed  report  of  his 
Excellency’s  speech  on  the  occasion ; — “ He  said  he  had  plea- 
sure in  taking  part  in  the  reception  given  to  the  gallant  men 
of  Edendale  who  had  just  returned  alter  many  months’  absence 
in  the  field.  He  desired  to  say  how  sensible  he  was  of  the 
manner  in  which  Edendale  had  sent  its  sons  to  the  war,  and  of 
the  good  service  they  had  done.  They  had  had  to  leave  their 
homes  and  their  families  and  their  friends  and  their  peaceful 
occupations.  They  had  had  to  do  this  in  order  to  take  part 
in  the  war,  and  to  exchange  the  pleasant  ways  of  peace  for 
service  in  the  field,  with  all  its  discomforts  and  dangers.  They 
had  done  their  duty,  and  had  done  it  well.  Their  conduct  had 
been  without  reproach,  and  had  been  marked  by  courage  and 
other  good  qualities,  which  had  always  distinguished  the  men 
of  Edendale,  and  made  them  a most  useful  auxiliary  force. 
He  thanked  them  in  the  name  of  the  Queen  for  their  admirable 
conduct,  which  had  won  the  good  opinion  of  all,  and  gained 
for  Edendale  the  credit  attaching  to  noble  acts  and  good 
conduct.  He  thanked  the  men  of  Edendale  for  what  they  had 
done,  and  he  thanked  their  missionary,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allsopp, 
also.  Their  faithful  services  and  good  conduct  reflected  the 
highest  value  of  his  labours,  and  were  the  very  best  testimony 


312  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

that  could  be  had  to  the  success  of  the  Edendale  Wesleyan 
Mission.” 

At  the  close  of  the  Zulu  war  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  addressed 
himself  to  the  duty  of  settling  the  country  in  the  most  praise- 
worthy manner.  He  assembled  the  principal  native  chiefs  at 
Ulundi,  and  explained  to  them  the  manner  in  which  Zululand 
would  be  divided  into  thirteen  districts,  with  a chief  of  equal 
authority  to  govern  each,  and  a British  Resident  stationed  in 
their  midst  to  see  that  everything  was  done  properly.  The 
plans  of  His  Excellency  appear  to  be  conceived  in  wisdom  and 
kindly  feelings  towards  the  natives,  and  it  remains  to  be  seen 
how  they  will  work.  Every  friend  of  humanity  and  Christian 
missions  must  pray  for  their  success. 

Previous  to  the  war  the  Propagation  Society  of  the  Church 
of  England  and  the  Hermannsburg  and  Norwegian  Missionary 
Societies  had  established  stations  in  Zululand,  and  attempted 
the  evangelization  of  the  natives,  but  with  very  slender  results, 
owing  to  the  numerous  difficulties  with  which  they  had  to 
contend.  On  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities  all  the  missionaries 
and  teachers  had  to  leave  the  country.  They  will  now  have 
the  opportunity  of  returning  and  recommencing  their  work 
under  more  favourable  auspices.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
number  of  labourers  will  be  greatly  increased,  and  that  the 
blessing  of  God  will  attend  their  efforts  in  a land  which  it  is 
hoped  will  now  be  fully  thrown  open  to  the  benign  influences 
of  the  Gospel 

Neighbouring  Territories. 

Having  passed  under  review  the  various  colonies  and 
settlements  in  Southern  Africa  in  which  separate  governments 
have  been  established,  including  Zululand,  now  in  a state  of 
transition,  it  may  be  well  in  conclusion  to  take  a brief  survey 
of  a few  neighbouring  territories,  with  their  diversified  popula- 
tions, some  of  which  have  been  already  taken  under  the 
protection  of  the  British,  and  others  of  which  may  in  time  to 
come  be  more  intimately  connected  with  our  Government. 


Southern  Africa, 


313 


Let  us  now  take  a glance  at  Kaffirland.  According  to  the 
present  arrangement  of  South  African  geography,  a marked 
distinction  is  made  between  British  Kaffraria,  recently  incorpo- 
rated with  the  Cape  Colony,  and  Kaffirland  proper.  Formerly 
the  general  name  of  Kaffirland  was  given  to  the  whole  south- 
eastern coast  of  the  great  continent  beyond  the  boundary  of 
the  Cape  Colony ; but  since  the  assumption  of  British  rule 
over  that  part  of  the  country  just  named,  and  the  establishment 
of  the  colony  of  Natal,  which  separates  it  from  Zululand  on 
the  north,  the  term  is  now  generally  applied  to  the  territory 
lying  between  the  two,  which  is  still  occupied  by  independent 
Kaffir  tribes,  with  the  Indian  Ocean  on  the  south-east,  and  the 
Quathlamba  mountains  in  the  rear,  which  separate  it  from 
Basutuland  on  the  west. 

Kaffirland  in  general  presents  to  the  view  of  the  traveller  an 
undulating,  and  in  some  places  broken,  rugged,  and  mountainous 
country.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Umtata,  Bashee,  Tsomo, 
and  Umzimculu  and  its  tributaries,  none  of  which,  however, 
are  navigable.  A number  of  other  periodical  streams  wind 
their  way  from  the  mountains  to  the  ocean  after  the  rainy 
season  \ and  as  they  work  out  for  themselves  deep  ravines, 
they  are  sometimes  difficult  to  cross  with  a heavily-laden 
ox-waggon,  and  give  to  the  surface  of  the  country  a rugged, 
broken  aspect.  There  are  between  them,  however,  large  tracts 
of  land  well  adapted  for  the  pasturage  of  cattle  and  the  growth 
of  Kaffir  and  Indian  corn,  on  which  the  natives  chiefly  subsist. 

The  tribes  of  Kaffirs  inhabiting  this  region  are  the  Tambookus, 
Amagalekas,  Amapondas,  Amabaxas,  and  a few  others  of  minor 
consequence,  numbering  in  all  about  100,000.  They  are  all 
deeply  degraded  pagans ; and  the  most  important  personage  in 
the  community,  next  to  the  ruling  chief,  is  the  witch  doctor 
and  rain-maker,  and  whenever  he  appears  with  his  trappings 
and  medicines  he  produces  quite  a sensation.  Among  these 
people  the  Episcopalians,  the  Presbyterians,  and  the  Wesleyans, 
have  established  a number  of  mission  stations,  and  their  agents 
have  laboured  for  many  years  with  very  encouraging  results. 


314 


Africa  : Past  and  Prese7it. 


thousands  of  native  converts  having  been  united  in  Church 
fellowship,  and  learned  to  read  the  Word  of  God  for  them, 
selves,  whilst  a few  have  been  called  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
their  fellow-countrymen. 

Basutuland  is  the  name  now  given  to  a comparatively  small 
territory,  bounded  on  the  west  and  north  by  the  Orange  Free 
State,  and  on  the  south-east  by  an  immense  double  chain  of 
lofty  mountains,  here  called  the  Maluti,  which  separates  it  from 
Kaffirland  and  Natal.  The  country  is  generally  of  a pastoral 
character,  but  contains  many  tracts  of  good  land  capable  of 
cultivation.  It  is  densely  populated  by  the  remnants  of  various 
Bechuana,  Koranna,  and  other  tribes,  known  under  the  general 
name  of  Basutus.  During  the  devastating  wars  of  the  sanguinary 
and  marauding  chiefs  Tshaka,  Dingaan,  and  Moselekatze,  these 
broken  remnants  of  scattered  tribes  took  refuge  in  the  mountain 
fastnesses  of  the  country  now  known  as  Basutuland;  and 
about  the  year  1825  began  to  rally  round  Moshesh,  a native 
chief  of  great  energy  and  force  of  character.  The  Basutus,  as 
governed  by  their  able  chief  Moshesh,  soon  became  respected, 
and  even  feared,  by  the  neighbouring  tribes,  as  well  as  by  the 
settlers  of  the  Orange  Free  State.  In  1858  the  Free  State, 
however,  went  to  war  with  the  Basutus  on  the  subject  of  land 
claims  and  boundary  lines ; and  old  Moshesh  having  died,  and 
his  sons  being  less  able  and  influential  in  governing  the  tribe, 
the  British  Government,  after  having  been  called  in  to  mediate 
between  the  contending  parties,  ultimately  took  the  Basutus, 
at  their  own  request,  under  their  protection,  and  the  country 
they  inhabit  may  now'  be  regarded  as  virtually  a portion  of  the 
British  Empire. 

No  people  in  South  Africa  have  benefited  more  by  missionary 
labour  than  the  Basutus.  The  agents  of  the  French  Evangelical 
Missionary  Society  have  taken  the  lead  in  the  work.  For  many 
years  past  they  have  had  flourishing  stations  at  Beersheba, 
Thaba  Moriah,  Hebron,  Bethesda,  and  other  places ; and  their 
efforts  have  been  very  successful  in  converting  the  heathen, 
and  in  diffusing  among  the  people  general  knowledge  calculated 


Southern  Africa,  3 1 5 

to  promote  their  civilization  and  social  elevation.  The  Wesleyan 
missionaries  have  also  established  important  and  prosperous 
stations  at  Umpekani,  Umperani,  and  Thaba  Unchu,  near  the 
boundary  of  the  Free  State.  Thaba  Bossi  is  a remarkable 
fortified  village,  situated  on  the  summit  of  a flat-topped 
mountain  height,  near  the  sources  of  the  Little  Caledon  river, 
and  it  was  long  the  favourite  residence  of  the  famous  chief 
Moshesh.  Under  the  fostering  care  of  the  British  Government 
and  the  instruction  of  the  missionaries,  the  Basutus  bid  fair  to 
do  well  both  for  this  world  and  that  which  is  to  come. 

The  country  long  known  as  Griqualand  is  situated  beyond 
the  Orange  river,  and  around  its  junction  with  the  Vaal;  thus 
interposing  between  the  Cape  Colony  on  the  one  side  and  the 
Free  State  on  the  other.  The  Griquas  are  a mixed  race,  of 
which  there  are  several  clans  vulgarly  called  “ Bastards,”  being 
the  descendants  of  Dutch  Boers  and  their  Hottentot  slaves. 
They  are  a tall,  athletic,  good  looking  race,  of  light-olive 
complexion,  somewhat  indolent  and  careless  with  regard  to 
the  future,  but  generally  good-natured  and  hospitable.  They 
are  fond  of  hunting  and  exploring,  and  occasionally  predatory 
in  their  habits.  They  speak  a debased  patois  of  the  Dutch 
language,  as  do  most  of  the  coloured  inhabitants  of  South 
Africa.  About  the  year  1833  the  Griquas  began  to  collect  and 
settle  in  the  country  which  has  since  borne  their  name,  and  to 
rally  round  a leader  or  chief  named  Adam  Kok,  who  displayed 
considerable  tact  and  skill  in  governing  the  people  who 
acknowledged  his  chieftainship.  Some  time  afterwards  a part 
of  the  clan  separated  themselves  from  the  rest,  and  gathered 
round  a man  named  Waterboer,  who  became  their  captain  or 
chief.  Both  of  these  chiefs  for  many  years  received  annual 
gratuities  or  grants  from. the  Colonial  Government,  on  condition 
of  their  loyalty  and  good  conduct.  They  and  their  people 
were  ultimately  removed  by  an  arrangement  with  the  govern- 
ment authorities  to  a region  known  as  “No-man’s-land” ; and 
of  late  years  they  have  become  somewhat  scattered.  In  all 
their  location  they  are  generally  now  regarded  as  British 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


316 

subjects,  and  they  have  gradually  advanced  to  a pleasing  state 
of  civilization  and  general  knowledge. 

Like  the  Basutus,  the  Griquas  are  largely  indebted  to  the 
missionaries  for  the  respectable  position  to  which  they  have 
attained  among  the  native  tribes  of  South  Africa.  The  honoured 
instruments  in  their  moral  and  social  elevation  have  chiefly 
been  the  agents  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  who  have 
laboured  among  them  for  many  years  with  remarkable  energy, 
zeal,  and  success.  The  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  have  also 
some  prosperous  stations  in  some  of  the  Griqua  settlements, 
where  no  other  agencies  are  at  work,  and  the  results  of  their 
labours  have  so  far  been  encouraging. 

Bechuanaland  is  the  name  given  to  an  extensive  tract  of 
country  lying  between  Griqualand  on  the  south,  the  Transvaal 
on  the  east,  and  the  great  Kalahari  desert  on  the  west,  and 
stretching  away  as  far  as  Lake  N’gami  on  the  south.  The 
land  is  far  from  fertile,  liable  to  long-continued  droughts,  and 
water  is  consequently  often  scarce.  It  is  nevertheless  occupied 
by  several  wandering  tribes,  with  slight  difference  of  character 
and  dialect,  but  known  to  Europeans  under  the  general  name 
of  Bechuanas,  who  subsist  chiefly  on  their  flocks  and  herds, 
with  which  they  travel  extensively  to  find  pasture.  The  fullest 
and  most  recent  information  we  have  of  this  country  and  people 
has  been  communicated  by  Dr.  Holub,  an  intelligent  Bohemian 
gentleman,  who,  on  returning  from  his  last  journey  of  explora- 
tion into  the  interior,  delivered  an  interesting  lecture  on  his 
travels  and  discoveries  at  Graham’s  Town  in  the  month  of  May, 
1879.  In  this  lecture  he  spoke  of  “six  Bechuana  empires  ” as 
forming  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Kalahari  desert.  These 
tribes  of  Bechuanas,  he  said,  were  known  as  Batlapins,  Bara- 
longs,  Banguaketse,  Bakwenas,  Bamangwatos,  and  the  Bamang- 
watos  of  Lake  N’gami.  The  tribes  of  Bushmen  inhabiting 
these  regions, — a more  manly  race  of  natives  than  the  Bush- 
men of  the  Cape  Colony, — he  described  as  subjugated  by  the 
Bechuanas,  and  as  employed  by  them  as  slaves  and  huntsmen. 

Some  of  the  above-named  tribes  of  Bechuanas,  especially  the 


Sou! hern  Africa.  3 1 7 

Batlapms  and  the  Baralongs,  have  for  several  years  past  been 
favoured  with  the  means  of  religious  instruction  by  the  agents 
of  the  London  and  Wesleyan  Missionary  Societies.  It  was 
among  these  people  that  the  celebrated  Dr.  Moffat  achieved 
his  greatest  successes,  and  it  was  into  their  language  that  he 
succeeded  in  translating  the  Sacred  Scriptures.  And  it  was 
from  a station  among  them  that  Dr.  Livingstone  started  otj  his 
first  adventurous  journey  of  discovery.  Hundreds  and  perhaps 
thousands  of  these  people  have  been  to  a considerable  extent 
civilized,  evangelized,  united  in  church  fellowship,  and  many 
have  been  taught  to  read  the  Word  of  God  for  themselves. 

Bushmanland  is  the  general  designation  applied  to  an  exten. 
sive,  wild,  and  uninhabited  tract  of  country  on  the  south  of  the 
Orange  river.  This  was  no  doubt  at  one  time  the  principal 
home  of  the  Hottentots,  or  real  aborigines  of  the  country,  when 
they  were  driven  back  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  by 
the  original  settlers,  and  who  are  now  known  as  wild  Bush- 
men. When  travelling  through  this  region,  we  have  occasionally 
met  with  an  individual  or  a family  of  this  degraded  class  of  our 
fellow-men  ; but  the  main  body  of  them  have  had  to  remove 
still  farther  away  from  the  colony  of  the  settlers,  by  whom  they 
were  in  former  times  cruelly  treated.  They  are  now  to  be  found 
in  the  greatest  numbers  on  the  borders  of  the  Kalahari  desert, 
where  they  are  in  little  danger  of  being  pursued  and  shot  down 
by  white  men  as  formerly.  The  Bushmanland  of  the  Cape 
Colony  is  now  used  chiefly  as  a place  of  pasturage  by  the 
Dutch  Boers,  when  the  grazing  land  on  their  own  farms  fails 
from  drought,  or  from  being  overstocked.  Hence  we  have 
seen  them  encamped  in  some  of  the  most  favourable  localities, 
lazily  watching  their  flocks  and  herds,  as  they  quietly  browsed 
on  the  long  grass,  which  is  plentiful  there  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year. 

Namaqualand  is  the  next  territory  that  calls  for  our  notice. 
Little  Namaqualand  lies  south  of  the  Orange  river,  and  has  for 
many  years  past  been  part  and  parcel  of  the  Cape  Colony.  The 
most  favourable  portions  of  the  country  are  occupied  by  Dutch 


3i8 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


farmers,  and  in  less  fertile  districts  are  located  a considerable 
number  of  natives,  among  whom  the  Wesleyan  and  German 
missionaries  have  established  several  important  and  promising 
stations.  There  also  are  situated  the  richest  copper  mines  of 
South  Africa,  to  which  a considerable  number  of  Cornish  emi- 
grants and  others  have  been  attracted,  and  for  whose  benefit 
both  Episcopalian  and  Wesleyan  ministers  have  been  sent  to 
labour. 

The  extensive  region  known  as  Great  Namaqtcaland  is  situated 
to  the  north  of  the  Orange  river,  and  stretches  away  for  hundreds 
of  miles  along  the  western  coast  of  Southern  Africa  as  far  as 
Walvisch  Bay,  and  extends  inland  to  the  Bechuana  country. 
It  cannot  be  less  than  450  miles  in  length  and  230  in  breadth, 
and  it  embraces  an  area  of  100,000  square  miles,  with  a thinly 
scattered  population  of  about  40,000  souls.  The  land  is  generally 
sandy,  dry,  and  barren  in  the  extreme,  cultivation  being  almost 
unknown  in  many  parts.  The  seacoast  of  this  sterile  region  for 
many  miles  inland  consists  of  a succession  of  shifting  sandhills, 
and  travelling  is  very  difficult.  And  yet  several  petty  tribes  of 
natives,  known  as  Namaqua  Hottentots,  and  approaching  more 
nearly  in  their  character  to  the  real  aborigines  of  the  country 
than  any  others  we  have  met  with,  manage  to  obtain  a precarious 
living  under  the  direction  of  their  respective  chiels.  This  they 
do  by  means  of  their  flocks  and  herds,  with  which  they  wander 
about  from  place  to  place,  as  they  find  most  convenient,  erecting 
their  temporary  mat  huts,  and  remaining  longest  where  water 
and  grass  are  most  plentiful 

Under  circumstances  of  peculiar  trial  and  privation,  the  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Wesleyan  and  Rhenish  Socieiies  have  laboured 
among  these  people  with  commendable  zeal  and  diligence,  and 
with  a pleasing  measure  of  success,  for  many  years.  The  present 
writer,  when  visiting  the  stations,  has  held  some  of  the  most 
delightful  religious  meetings  he  ever  attended  in  any  country 
with  the  converted  natives  of  this  wild  region,  and  has  observed 
with  pleasure  the  arrangements  made  by  the  missionaries  for 
sending  native  teachers  with  each  party  to  accompany  them  in 


Southern  Africa.  379 

their  wanderings,  and  to  carry  on  school  operations  in  their 
respective  encampments,  whilst  they  themselves  itinerated 
among  them  as  opportunities  would  permit  A few  years  ago 
the  Wesleyan  stations  in  Great  Namaqualand  were,  by  a mutual 
arrangement,  transferred  to  the  German  missionaries,  who  have 
now  the  entire  field  to  themselves.  The  stations  they  occupy 
are  Nisbett  Bath,  Bethany,  Bethesda,  and  a few  others.  The 
whole  of  Great  Namaqualand  has  recently  been  taken  under  the 
protection  of  the  British  Government,  and  a resident  magistrate 
appointed ; an  arrangement  which  it  is  hoped  will  result  in  much 
good. 

Damaraland  lies  to  the  north  af  Great  Namaqualand,  and 
extends  along  the  coast  of  the  Atlantic  as  far  as  the  Cuanene 
river,  in  latitude  17°  south.  So  far  as  it  has  been  explored,  the 
country  appears  to  bear  a striking  resemblance  to  that  which 
has  been  already  described,  with  this  exception — that  the  land 
is  found  to  be  somewhat  less  sterile  and  better  supplied  with 
wood  and  water  the  farther  we  proceed  northward.  The 
Damaras  are  of  darker  comple.xion  than  the  Namaquas,  with 
broad  features,  woolly  hair,  and  more  of  the  negro  character 
than  their  neighbours,  although  their  language  is  similar  in  its 
principal  elements.  The  Namaquas,  under  Jonker  Africaner, 
Amaral,  and  other  petty  chiefs,  in  pressing  northward  in  quest 
of  better  pasture  lands  for  their  herds  and  flocks,  have  trenched 
somewhat  on  the  rights  of  the  Damaras,  with  whom  they  have 
occasionally  waged  war  on  a small  scale.  The  Wesleyan  and 
German  missionaries  have  laboured  earnestly  for  the  benefit  of 
both  peoples,  but  hitherto  with  slender  results.  The  whole  of 
the  stations,  including  Wesleyville,  Concordiaville,  Elephants’ 
Fountain,  and  some  others,  are  now  under  the  care  of  the 
Germans,  and  it  is  hoped  that  greater  success  may  ultimately 
attend  their  labours 

The  last  country  which  we  have  to  notice  as  belonging  to 
Southern  Africa  is  Ovampoland,  which  is  situated  still  farther 
north,  and  appears  to  form  a connecting  link  between  the  terri- 
tories mentioned  above  and  the  regions  of  Loando  and  Benguela, 


320  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

occupied  by  the  Portuguese,  on  the  western  coast  of  the  great 
continent.  The  natives  of  Ovampoland  are  almost  entirely 
negro  in  their  features,  complexion,  and  general  characteristics, 
although  in  their  occupation,  manners,  customs,  and  language, 
they  resemble  their  neighbours  the  Damaras.  The  German 
missionaries  have  recently  extended  their  labours  to  this  distant 
region,  although  the  country  is  as  yet  but  very  imperfectly 
known.  As  geographical  explorations,  mercantile  speculations, 
and  missionary  enterprise  progress  in  Southern  Africa,  the  regions 
beyond  will  no  doubt  be  ultimately  opened  up  to  commerce 
and  Christianity,  and  wonderful  changes  will  be  witnessed  during 
the  next  half-century. 


321 


CHAPTER  VII. 


EASTERN  AND  CENTRAL  AFRICA, 


General  Outline — Rivers  and  Harbours — Native  Tribes  and  Settlers — Arab 
and  Portuguese  Colonization— Delagoa  Bay — Quilimane — Mozana- 
bique — Zanzibar — Aden — Christian  Missions — Makololo  Mission — 
Universities’  Mission — Livingstonia  Mission  at  Lake  N’yassa — London 
Society’s  Mission  at  Lake  Tanganyika — Church  Society’s  Mission  at 
Lake  N’yanza — Conclusion. 


LTHOUGH  difficult  to  define  with  precision,  that  portion 


of  the  great  continent  generally  designated  Eastern 
Africa  may  be  said  to  include  the  immense  tract  of  territory 
which  lies  between  the  colony  of  Natal  and  Zululand  on  the 
south,  Abyssinia  and  the  Gulf  of  Aden  on  the  north,  the  Indian 
Ocean  on  the  east,  and  the  partially  explored  regions  of  Central 
Africa  on  the  west.  A reference  to  the  map  will  show  that, 
from  Cape  St.  Lucia,  near  Delagoa  Bay  in  the  south,  to  the  Straits 
of  Bab-el-Mandeb  on  the  north,  this  vast  country  embraces  a 
length  of  coast  measuring  nearly  3000  miles,  diversified  by 
numerous  harbours,  bays,  and  islands,  many  of  which  are  but 
imperfectly  known  to  Europeans.  It  may  be  considered  as 
extending  inland  about  500  or  600  miles  from  the  sea ; but  on 
the  interior  side  its  boundaries  are  undefined  ; and  throughout 
its  length  and  breadth  its  character  and  contents  are  but  little 
known  to  strangers  at  a distance, — the  Portuguese  and  Arabs, 
who  have  possessed  themselves  of  the  leading  maritime  stations, 
sedulously  preventing  people  of  other  nations  from  settling  in 
the  country. 

From  the  little  we  know  of  the  geography  and  general  aspect 
of  Eastern  Africa,  it  appears  to  possess  some  grand  and  inter- 


21 


322 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

esting  natural  features,  and  many  large  tracts  of  fertile  land, 
capable  of  yielding  the  most  valuable  productions  when  brought 
under  careful  cultivation.  Those  parts  nearest  to  the  coast 
consist  in  many  places  of  spacious  plains  of  alluvial  soil,  with 
occasional  forests  of  valuable  timber.  Behind  these  plains  are 
found  large  tracts  of  undulating  country,  affording  splendid 
pasture  lands  for  countless  herds  of  cattle  and  wild  beasts,  which 
roam  over  them  at  pleasure.  In  the  distance  these  rise  into 
mountain  ranges  of  considerable  altitude,  some  of  which  run 
parallel  with  the  coast  for  scores  of  miles,  whilst  others  stretch 
far  away  into  the  still  unexplored  regions  of  the  interior,  forming 
the  backbone  and  watershed  of  the  mighty  continent,  and  the 
sources  of  the  numerous  rivers  which  wind  their  way  to  the 
ocean  in  various  directions. 

Rivers  and  Harbours. 

Eastern  Africa  is  not  destitute  of  rivers  and  harbours ; but, 
so  far  as  they  have  been  explored  or  surveyed,  they  do  not 
generally  appear  to  correspond  with  the  magnitude  of  the  vast 
continent  on  which  they  are  found.  Perhaps  an  exception 
should  be  made  with  regard  to  the  Zambezi,  which  is  undoubt- 
edly the  largest  and  most  important  river  in  Eastern  Africa. 
Little  was  known  of  the  magnitude  and  course  of  this  river 
till  a few  years  ago,  when  the  enterprising  Dr.  Livingstone 
struck  its  upper  branches  in  travelling  across  the  continent,  and 
discovered  the  famous  falls,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of 
“ Victoria,”  in  honour  of  the  Queen  of  England.  The  lower 
part  of  the  Zambezi  is  navigable  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year 
as  far  as  the  Portuguese  settlement  of  Sena ; but  its  upper 
portions  have  never  yet  been  fully  explored. 

We  are  chiefly  indebted  to  Captain  Owen  of  the  Royal  Navy 
for  the  little  knowledge  we  possess  of  the  harbours,  bays,  and 
the  lower  portions  of  the  principal  rivers  of  Eastern  Africa.  In 
1823  he  was  commissioned  by  the  British  Government  to  under- 
take a regular  and  scientific  survey  of  this  distant  portion  of  the 
coast  line  of  the  vast  continent.  He  accordingly  sailed  round 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa,  323 

the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  H.M.S.  Leven,  with  every  appliance 
necessary  for  the  purpose.  At  an  early  period  of  the  voyage  a 
party  connected  with  the  expedition — consisting  of  Lieutenant 
Brown,  Mr.  Forbes,  and  Mr.  Kilpatrick,  assistant-surgeon,  with 
two  black  servants — was  sent  to  explore  the  lower  regions  of 
the  Zambezi.  After  proceeding  eight  miles  they  emerged  from 
the  mangrove  swamps,  and  sailed  amid  groves  of  eocoa-nut 
and  orange  trees,  with  the  most  delightful  scenery  on  every 
side.  They  had  only  advanced  to  the  distance  of  about  forty 
miles  from  the  sea,  however,  when  they  became  involved  in 
clusters  of  small  islands,  the  channels  between,  which  were  so 
shallow  that  they  were  obliged  to  land,  drag  forward  the  boat 
for  some  distance,  and  re-embark  when  the  river  became  more 
open.  At  Chapongo  they  found  a Portuguese  station^,  com- 
manded by  a lady  named  Donna  Pascoa  d’Almeyda,  who  had 
no  troops  except  a few  negroes,  who  submitted  implicitly  to 
her  authority.  She  lived,  however,  in  great  pomp,  and  gave 
the  strangers  a cordial  welcome.  In  ascending  the  river  a little 
higher  they  saw  a country  tolerably  well  cultivated,  but  some- 
what tame  and  uninteresting,  till,  on  approaching  Sena,  they 
beheld . the  bold  and  picturesque  outline  of  the  mountains  of 
Yemale.  Before  they  reached  the  settlement,  however,  they 
had  the  affliction  to  lose  Mr.  Forbes,  a young  man  of  great 
promise,  who  fell  a victim  to  the  climate. 

At  Sena  the  voyagers  met  with  a cold  reception  from  the 
commandant  and  other  officials,  and  the  priests  sought  only  to 
obtain  money  from  them.  This  treatment  aggravated  their 
exhaustion  of  body  and  mind,  and  gave  them  great  anxiety, 
under  which  Mr.  Brown,  after  having  nearly  lost  his  faculties, 
finally  sunk.  Kilpatrick  then  became  reckless  and  desponding; 
and,  seeking  relief  in  the  free  use  of  spirituous  liquors,  soon 
shared  the  fate  of  his  two  companions,  and  like  them  found  a 
grave  in  African  soil.  There  remained  of  the  unfortunate 
exploring  party  only  the  two  negro  servants,  from  whom  some 
of  the  Portuguese  settlers  endeavoured  to  extract  the  little 
money  they  had  ; but  they  steadily  resisted ; and,  having  with 


3 24  Africa  : Past  and  Present. 

\ 

difficulty  effected  their  escape,  after  many  perils,  they  reached 
Quilimane,  where  they  found  Captain  Owen’s  ship  at  anchor, 
and  related  to  him  and  his  surviving  officers  their  mournful 
story. 

The  Zambezi  enters  the  Indian  Ocean  by  several  embouchures, 
the  principal  of  which  are  the  Cuma,  Kongoni,  and  Quilimane. 
These  present  the  appearance  of  separate  rivers  of  considerable 
magnitude ; but  they  have  never  yet  been  fully  explored.  The 
unfortunate  issue  of  Captain  Owen’s  first  attempt  at  river  navi- 
gation deterred  him  from  further  efforts  of  the  same  kind.  It 
was  not  till  a comparatively  recent  period  that  anything  more 
was  done  in  this  direction,  and  then  it  was  with  very  partial 
success.  Dr.  TJvingstone  succeeded  in  navigating  his  little 
steamer  the  Ala-Robert  up  the  main  branch  of  the  Zambezi  as 
far  as  Sena ; but  when  he  attempted  to  ascend  the  estuary 
known  as  the  Quilimane,  he  soon  found  his  progress  impeded 
by  immense  masses  of  reeds,  weeds,  and  other  obstructions, 
and  was  obliged  to  descend  without  penetrating  any  distance 
into  the  interior  or  effecting  a junction  with  the  main  stream 
as  he  had  anticipated.  It  has  since  been  ascertained  that  a 
canal  about  four  miles  in  length  might  be  cut,  which  would 
obviate  most  of  the  difficulties  hitherto  experienced. 

The  other  rivers  of  Eastern  Africa  are  comparatively  insig- 
nificant, or  entirely  unknown  to  modern  geography.  Near 
Quilo  several  large  estuaries  enter  the  sea,  of  the  upper  course 
of  which  little  or  nothing  is  known.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
the  Rufigi,  Kingani,  Adi,  Dana,  Webi-juo,  Rovuma,  and  other 
inconsiderable  streams ; the  one  last  named,  however,  seems  to 
rank  next  in  importance  to  the  Zambezi,  and  was  ascended  by 
Dr.  Livingstone  to  a distance  of  120  miles.  And  yet  it  is  not 
improbable  that  further  exploration  may  bring  to  light  rivers  of 
greater  magnitude  and  importance  than  we  are  aware  of,  in  this 
little-known  portion  of  the  African  continent. 

The  extensive  coast  line  of  Eastern  Africa  is  indented  with 
numerous  bays  and  harbours,  some  of  which  might  be  greatly 
improved  by  the  application  of  scientific  engineering  so  as  to 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 


325 


be  made  safe  and  commodious  ports  for  shipping,  if  theadvance- 
ment  of  civilization  and  commerce  were  to  call  for  such  accom- 
modation, which  it  is  hoped  some  day  will  be  the  case.  The 
principal  of  these  are  Delagoa  Bay,  Sofala  Bay,  Pomba  Bay, 
Quilimane,  Mozambique,  Mombasa,  Quiloa,  Port  Durnford, 
and  others  in  the  vicinity  of  Aden.  Some  of  these  may  be 
further  noticed  in  connection  with  the  settlements  to  which 
they  respectively  belong. 

Native  Tribes  and  Settlers. 

Eastern  and  Central  Africa  are  inhabited  by  a-  great  variety 
of  peoples  speaking  different  languages,  and  differing,  consider- 
ably in  their  manners,  customs,  and  general  character.  They 
may,  however,  be  divided  into  three  classes  or  groups,  a few 
observations  concerning  each  of  which  may  help  to  throw  some 
light  upon  the  kind  of  material  that  Christian  philanthropists 
will  have  to  deal  with  in  their  efforts  to  benefit  and  elevate  this 
portion  of  the  great  continent. 

The  aborigines  or  native  tribes,  properly  so  called,  belong  to> 
various  branches  of  the  African  race.  Those  who  inhabit  the 
lowlands  bordering  on  the  sea-coast  differ  little  in  their  appear- 
ance and  natural  wildness  from  the  Kaffir  tribes  already  noticed, 
although  their  languages  vary  considerably.  But  those  who 
dwell  in  the  more  distant  interior,  and  in  the  mountainous 
regions,  partake  more  of  the  real  negro  type,  as  it  is  met  with 
in  its  full  development  still  farther  north.  Scarcely  anything 
is  known  of  these  people,  however,  beyond  what  can  be  gathered 
from  the  incidental  observations  of  the  few  travellers  who  have 
passed  through  their  respective  countries,  and  thus  come  in 
occasional  and  temporary  contact  with,  them.  So  far  as  we 
know,  they  are  all  pagans,  and  deeply  involved  in  ignorance, 
superstition,  and  sin;  little  or  nothing  having  as. yet  been  done 
to  raise  them  from  the  moral  degradation  and  wretchedness  in. 
which  they  are  sunk.  The  following  tribes  have  been  named 
as  prominent  and  important  people ; but  we  have  yet  to  learn 
their  probable  extent  and  chief  characteristics ; the  Bratucahs, 


326 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


Tembians,  Kingani,  Wayyamizi,  Wajiji,  Wasagara,  Wazaramo, 
Wagogo,  Balonda,  Makololo,  Dinkas,  Bongos,  Wanikas,  and 
the  Gallas.  The  people  last  named  are  perhaps  the  best  known 
'Of  any,  from  the  interest  taken  in  them  by  the  missionary 
travellers.  Dr.  Krapf  and  Mr.  Rebmann.  They  seem  to  have 
'Come  originally  from  Abyssinia,  and  to  have  been  gradually 
pressing  onward  towards  the  eastern  coast,  where  they  are  now 
found  in  considerable  numbers. 

In  various  parts  of  Central  and  Eastern  Africa  there  are  also 
to  be  found  interspersed  among  the  native  population  a vast 
number  of  wandering  Arabs  and  half-castes  of  Arab  descent, 
universally  known  as  Moors.  These  are  the  principal  travelling 
merchants  and  slave-dealers  of  this  part  of  the  great  continent. 
In  some  places  they  have  formed  permanent  settlements  as 
centres  or  head-quarters  for  their  traffic ; but  the  majority  of 
them  are  constantly  on  the  move,  travelling  immense  distances 
in  large  companies  or  caravans.  The  Moors  are  rigid  Moham- 
medans, and  so  zealous  are  they  in  the  interests  of  their  religion 
that,  by  the  usual  weapons  of  fire  and  sword,  they  have  propa- 
gated the  dogmas  of  the  false  prophet  somewhat  extensively 
among  the  negro  tribes  which  have  come  under  their  influence. 

To  the  above  must  be  added,  as  forming  part  of  the  popula- 
tion of  this  section  of  Africa,  the  Portuguese  settlers,  who  are 
found  chiefly  resident  in  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  coast 
districts,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  lower  portions  of  the  principal 
rivers.  Comparatively  few  of  those  who  bear  the  name  of 
Portuguese  are  of  purely  European  descent,  however,  the  original 
settlers  having  by  degrees  mixed,  to  a considerable  extent,  with 
the  more  intelligent  natives  in  the  neighbourhood  of  their 
respective  locations,  and  the  result  is  a progeny  of  half-castes  of 
a dark  copper  colour.  These  people  profess  to  adhere  to  the 
religion  of  their  paternal  ancestors,  and  are  consequently  bigoted 
Roman  Catholics.  Their  Catholicism  is  of  a very  degraded 
type,  however;  and  in  their  mental  capacity  and  moral  conduct 
they  stand  little,  if  any,  above  the  level  of  the  degraded  heathen 
miound  them. 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa.  327 

Arab  and  Portuguese  Colonization. 

We  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  when,  or  under  what 
circumstances,  parties  of  Arabs  first  left  their  own  arid  shores, 
crossed  the  Red  Sea,  and  established  themselves  on  the  conti- 
nent of  Africa.  But  at  a very  early  period  they  appear  to  have 
formed  settlements  at  several  points  nearest  to  Arabia,  and 
gradually  to  have  spread  themselves  round  the  eastern  coast, 
as  well  as  into  the  interior  regions.  Those  who  found  their 
way  into  Central  Africa  became  more  or  less  mixed  with  the 
native  tribes,  and  their  descendants  are  the  numerous  class  of 
Moors  already  mentioned,  who  are  now  met  with  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  continent.  To  a considerable  extent  they 
have  continued  from  generation  to  generation  to  indulge  their 
wandering  habits ; hence  their  widespread  dispersion,  and  the 
fact  that,  with  the  exception  of  a few  places  on  the  eastern 
coast,  but  few  permanent  settlements  have  been  formed  by 
them.  They  are  the  chief  merchants  of  the  country,  and  by 
their  example  and  influence  they  have  diffused  a taste  for  trade 
and  commerce  among  all  classes  of  the  native  population. 
They  are  fond  of  horses,  on  which  they  generally  ride,  whilst 
they  make  use  of  camels  and  negro  slaves  as  beasts  of  burden  ; 
for  it  is  a mournful  fact  that  whenever  they  become  dominant 
they  reduce  the  poor  negroes  to  a state  of  vassalage,  and  of  late 
years  they  have  been  the  most  active  agents  in  the  accursed 
slave  trade.  It  is  this  circumstance,  in  connection  with  their 
inveterate  Mohammedanism,  which  forbids  our  regarding  the 
history  and  proceedings  of  the  Arabs  in  Eastern  and  Central 
Africa  with  anything  like  feelings  of  complacency. 

The  Portuguese  found  their  way  to  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa 
at  a later  period ; and  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury they  formed  their  first  settlement,  which  they  used  as  a 
convenient  place  of  call  for  their  ships  when  sailing  to  and  from 
the  East  Indies.  In  their  first  attempts  at  colonization  they 
had  only  the  rude  and  simple-minded  natives  to  contend  with ; 
but,  on  extending  their  conquests  northwards,  they  came  in 


328 


Africa:  Past  and  Present, 


contact  with  the  more  intelligent  and  powerful  Arabs,  whom  they 
found  firmly  established  at  some  places  which  they  were  anxious 
to  possess.  Hence  arose  repeated  wars  on  a small  scale,  and 
perpetual  contests,  which  resulted  in  the  concentration  of  the 
chief  power  of  the  Arabs  at  Zanzibar  and  other  places  in  the 
north,  and  the  establishment  by  the  Portuguese  of  the  colonies 
of  Delagoa  Bay  and  Mozambique,  with  their  dependent  settle- 
ments in  the  south,  as  they  are  found  at  the  present  day. 

Whilst  the  maritime  power  of  the  Portuguese  continued  in 
its  zenith,  and  a lucrative  trade  was  carried  on  with  India,  their 
settlements  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa  continued  to  prosper. 
And  even  for  some  time  afterwards,  in  the  heyday  of  the 
negro  slavery  trade,  into  which  the  colonists  rushed  with 
intense  avidity,  they  carried  on  an  extensive  traffic.  But  when 
both  of  these  sources  of  wealth  failed,  their  establishments 
dwindled  into  the  miserable  poverty-stricken  condition  in  which 
they  are  now  found  ; for  it  is  a notorious  fact  that  the  Portu- 
guese, in  their  attempts  at  colonization,  have  never  addressed 
themselves  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  the  elevation  of  the 
aborigines,  after  the  manner  of  some  other  European  nations. 
This  observation  on  the  gradual  decline  of  the  wealth  and 
power  of  the  Portuguese  will  apply  in  some  respects  to  the 
Arabs  also,  for  it  is  recorded  that  Captain  Owen,  in  the 
course  of  his  survey  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa,  “ was  every- 
where struck  with  the  remains  of  former  wealth  and  civilization, 
strongly  contrasting  with  its  present  poverty  and  barbarism.” 

A brief  account  of  the  principal  settlements  on  the  eastern 
coast  of  Africa  may  tend  to  confirm  and  illustrate  the  statement 
just  made,  whilst  at  the  same  time  it  may  throw  some  light 
upon  the  present  state  of  society,  both  colonial  and  native,  in 
this  interesting  part  of  the  world. 

Delagoa  Bay. 

About  three  hundred  miles  ^o  the  north  of  the  British  colony 
of  Natal,  there  is  a considerable  indenture  in  the  Indian  Ocean 
known  as  Delagoa  Bay,  which  forms  a convenient  harbour  of 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 


329 


refuge  for  shipping  on  this  stormy  coast.  Into  this  spacious 
bay  three  rivers  flow,  one  of  which  is  known  as  the  English 
river,  from  the  circumstance  of  the  British  Government  having 
several  years  ago  secured  a right  to  it  and  the  adjacent  terri- 
tory by  a treaty  with  the  paramount  native  chief  of  that  part 
of  the  coast,  although  they  never  formed  a settlement  upon 
it,  the  land  in  the  neighbourhood  being  exceedingly  low, 
swampy,  and  unhealthy.  Near  the  mouth  of  one  of  the  other 
rivers  the  Portuguese  established  themselves  at  an  early  period; 
but,  from  the  causes  already  mentioned,  the  settlement  has 
declined  much  of  late  years,  and  now  presents  a miserable  and 
abject  appearance  to  strangers  on  board  the  ships  which  occa- 
sionally put  in  there.  The  governor  or  commandant  in  charge 
of  the  place,  with  his  few  military  and  other  subordinate  officials, 
are  sadly  underpaid  for  their  services,  and  supplement  their 
slender  stipends  by  carrying  on  a little  trade  with  the  natives 
and  the  ships  which  occasionally  call  for  supplies  as  they  have 
opportunity.  Whilst  the  slave  trade  was  permitted,  the  Portu- 
guese colonists  of  Delagoa  Bay,  in  common  with  those  of  other 
places,  had  abundant  opportunities  of  making  money ; but  all 
that  is  changed  now,  and  it  is  difficult  to  understand  what  can 
be  their  object  in  keeping  up  an  establishment  on  this  part  of 
the  coast,  seeing  they  make  no  attempt  to  civilize  the  neigh- 
bouring native  tribes,  or  to  promote  the  interests  of  agriculture. 

Adjacent  to  Delagoa  Bay  is  the  populous  native  kingdom  of 
Temby,  the  inhabitants  of  which  attracted  the  notice  of  the 
humane  and  philanthropic  Captain  Owen  when  he  called  there 
occasionally  during  his  survey  of  the  neighbouring  coast. 
Feeling  an  anxious  desire  to  benefit  this  people,  he  mentioned 
their  case  to  the  Superintendent  of  Wesleyan  Missions  at 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  generously  offered  to  convey  a 
missionary  to  Delagoa  Bay  free  of  cost,  if  one  could  be  spared. 
The  Society  felt  disposed  to  try  the  experiment  of  attempting 
to  establish  a mission  there.  The  offer  was  gladly  accepted, 
and  the  duty  devolved  upon  the  Rev.  William  Threlfall,  a 
zealous  young  missionary  recently  arrived  from  England.  Mr. 


330 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


Threlfall  embarked  on  board  the  Leven,  in  Simon’s  Bay,  on 
the  2ist  June,  1823,  and  reached  his  destination  on  the  22nd 
of  the  following  month.  Next  day,  the  young  missionary  was 
introduced  to  the  king  or  paramount  chief  of  the  country, 
named  Mayette,  who  received  him  most  cordially ; and  it  was 
arranged  that  he  should  take  up  his  residence  at  a village  called 
Slengelly,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  that  being  considered  the 
most  healthy  locality  in  the  neighbourhood. 

It  is  painful  to  be  obliged  to  report  that  a mission  com- 
menced with  such  pure  motives,  and  in  a truly  self-sacrificing 
spirit,  should  have  proved  a failure ; but  such  was  in  truth  the 
case — not  in  consequence  of  any  mismanagement  on  the  part 
of  the  young  missionary,  but  entirely  owing  to  the  unhealthiness 
of  the  climate,  and  the  inadequacy  of  means  available  for  the 
successful  prosecution  of  the  enterprise.  Mr.  Threlfall  spent 
about  six  months  at  Delagoa  Bay,  endeavouring  to  learn  the 
native  language,  instructing  the  people  as  best  he  could,  and 
collecting  information  concerning  the  country  and  its  inhabi- 
tants. He  penetrated  to  a considerable  distance  inland,  and 
everywhere  met  with  the  kindest  treatment  from  the  natives. 
But  his  resources  were  quite  inadequate  for  the  undertaking ; 
and,  living  in  a native  hut,  without  proper  attendance,  and 
destitute  of  the  most  ordinary  comforts,  as  the  rainy  season 
approached  he  was  seized  with  illness,  and  entirely  laid  aside 
from  his  work.  Being  reduced  to  a helpless  state  of  suffering, 
in  the  absence  of  Captain  Owen,  who  had  left  the  bay  some 
time  before,  he  received  some  assistance  from  other  com- 
manders who  happened  to  call  at  the  port ; and,  when  all  other 
help  failed,  he  managed  to  reach  the  Portuguese  settlement, 
where  the  governor  and  other  officials  showed  him  much  kindness. 

At  length  the  ship  Nereid,  a South  Sea  whaler,  put  into  Algoa 
Bay  for  water,  the  captain  of  which  offered  Mr.  Threlfall  a 
passage  to  the  Cape,  which  he  gladly  accepted.  But  during 
the  voyage,  which  was  long  and  stormy,  a malignant  fever 
broke  out  in  the  ship,  of  which  several  of  the  seamen  died. 
Hence,  on  her  arrival  in  Table  Bay,  she  was  put  in  quarantine. 


vii!.\(;f.  of  si.kngellv,  dei-agoa  iiAV.  [Page 


I 


Eastern  and  Cejitral  Africa. 


331 


and  it  was  not  till  two  or  three  weeks  afterwards  that  the  poor 
stricken  missionary  was  landed  in  Cape  Town,  reduced  to  a 
mere  skeleton,  and  scarcely  able  to  walk.  The  sequel  of  Mr. 
Threlfall’s  brief  career  is  appalling  to  relate.  On  the  recovery 
of  his  health  he  went  to  labour  in  Namaqualand,  on  the  western 
coast  of  South  Africa,  and,  on  attempting  to  carry  the  good 
news  of  salvation  to  the  regions  beyond,  he  and  two  native 
teachers  who  accompanied  him  were  cruelly  murdered  by  a 
band  of  marauding  Bushmen  for  the  sake  of  the  few  articles 
which  they  had  with  them  to  barter  for  food  as  they  travelled 
along. 

Quilimane. 

Passing  Sofala  Bay  in  voyaging  up  the  coast  of  south-eastern 
Africa,  the  next  place  of  consequence  which  we  come  to  is 
Quilimane,  a Portuguese  settlement  about  twelve  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  a river  of  that  name,  which  has  already  been 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  debouchures  of  the  Zambezi.  This, 
in  common  with  other  Portuguese  settlements  in  Eastern  Africa, 
had  declined  in  population,  influence,  and  importance,  when 
a few  years  ago  it  received  a fresh  impetus  from  the  visits  and 
explorations  of  Dr.  Livingstone  and  others  in  the  valley  of  the 
Zambezi,  as  well  as  from  the  settlement  there  of  two  or  three 
European  merchants.  The  most  recent  information  we  have 
of  the  appearance  and  condition  of  this  place  is  derived  from  a 
communication  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stewart  of  the  Free  Church 
Mission.  He  landed  there  on  the  8th  August,  1876,  on  his 
way  to  the  interior,  and  the  following  is  an  extract  from  his 
letter  written  soon  afterwards : — 

“Quilimane  appeared  to  me  greatly  improved  since  my  visit  herein  1863. 
The  streets,  which  are  sandy,  are  kept  fairly  free  from  grass.  On  the  sides 
of  some  of  them  an  acacia,  with  very  long  heavy  pods,  fifteen  or  eighteen 
inches  long,  has  been  planted  in  lines,  and  affords  an  agreeable  though  not 
very  dense  shade.  Cocoa-nut  palms  still  abound,  and  give  a marked  ap- 
pearance to  the  place.  They  are  found  growing  in  some  of  the  streets, — in 
groves  in  various  parts  of  the  town.  The  trees  seem  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves, and  yield  their  fruit,  when  healthy,  three  times  a year.  The  produce 
of  each  tree  is  worth  rather  more  than  four  shillings,  and  a thousand  trees 


332 


Africa;  Past  and  Present. 

are  thus  worth  annually  ^loa.  The  fniit  is  surprisingly  cheap.  The 
houses  seem  to  me  more  numerous  and  in  better  order.  A new 
custom-house  has  been  built ; the  old  one  was  blown  out  of  existence 
some  three  or  four  years  ago  by  an  explosion  of  gunpowder,  caused  by 
lightning  striking  the  house  during  a thunderstorm  at  night.  This  did 
considerable  damage,  even  though  all  the  houses  stand  apart.  There  are 
two  French  commercial  houses  in  Quilimane,  whose  chief  business  is  in 
ground-nuts,  sesamum,  cocoa-nuts,  wax,  and  ivory.  They  represent 
houses  in  Marseilles.  There  is  even  now,  as  one  of  the  signs  of  marked 
progress,  a house  which  may  be  called  the  Quilimane  Hotel — at  least  it  is 
an  hotel  when  there  are  guests.  There  is  no  doubt  but  a great  deal  more 
could  be  made  of  the  place.  For  the  present  the  single  broken  or  missing 
link  between  Quilimane  and  the  world  outside  is  the  want  of  a small  steam 
launch  to  communicate  with  the  mail  steamer  in  all  states  of  wind  less  than 
a gale : either  this,  or  pilots  with  more  activity  or  courage.  There  is  at 
present  only  one,  and  the  mail  steamers  have  frequently  passed  without  any 
communication  with  the  shore.  The  town  contains  about  200  Europeans, 
and  from  3000  to  4000  natives.” 

Although  the  Portuguese  have  thus  established  themselves 
at  Quilimane  at  the  mouth  of  the  Zambezi,  they  have  not 
utilized  that  majestic  river  for  the  purposes  of  trade  and  com- 
merce to  the  extent  which  might  have  been  expected.  During 
the  two  centuries  which  have  elapsed  since  they  first  made 
their  appearance  on  this  part  of  the  African  continent,  they 
have  made  little  impression  upon  the  country  or  the  native 
tribes  for  good.  At  an  early  period  they  formed  the  two  small 
settlements  of  Sena  and  Tete,  a considerable  distance  up  the 
river;  but  for  many  years  the  population  of  these  places  seem 
to  have  been  dependent  for  their  subsistence  chiefly  on  the 
profits  derived  from  the  slave  trade.  Since  that  has  been 
interrupted,  if  not  extinguished,  these  in  common  with  other 
Portuguese  settlements  in  Eastern  Africa  have  declined  in 
magnitude  and  importance,  the  colonists  having  everywhere 
displayed  a remarkable  lack  of  energy  and  taste  for  agriculture 
and  commercial  pursuits. 

Mozambique. 

The  principal  settlement  of  the  Portuguese  on  the  eastern 
coast  of  Africa  is  called  Mozambique.  The  town  is  situated 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 


333 


on  a small  island  about  three  miles  long  and  two  broad,  and 
not  more  than  two  miles  from  the  mainland  ; but  many  of  the 
principal  inhabitants  have  their  houses  on  the  continent,  at  the 
extremity  of  the  peninsula  of  Coboccira.  The  settlement  gives 
its  name  to  the  channel  which  separates  this  portion  of  Africa 
from  the  large  island  of  Madagascar,  and  it  has  been  the  scene 
of  many  a contest  between  British  cruisers  and  piratical  slave 
vessels.  In  former  times,  when  the  maritime  power  of  Portugal 
was  at  its  zenith,  this  was  a place  of  great  importance,  but  of 
late  years  it  has  greatly  declined,  in  common  with  other  settle- 
ments which  were  dependent  upon  India,  or  which  subsisted 
chiefly  upon  the  profits  they  derived  from  their  connection  with 
the  slave  trade. 

Mozambique  is  described  by  geographers  of  the  last  century 
as  a handsome  city  with  a strong  fort  or  castle,  a good  garrison, 
and  well-stored  magazine.  Its  hospital,  churches,  and  convents 
are  moreover  spoken  of  as  large  and  elegant  buildings.  But 
travellers  and  mariners  who  occasionally  visit  the  place  now, 
generally  describe  it  as  wearing  a dilapidated  and  melancholy 
appearance.  It  is  still,  however,  the  place  where  the  Governor- 
General  of  all  the  Portuguese  possessions  in  Eastern  Africa 
resides,  and  if  the  colonists  were  to  turn  their  attention  to  the 
development  of  the  resources  of  the  country,  it  might  again 
rise  to  a state  of  prosperity  and  importance.  It  is  possessed  of 
a splendid  harbour,  which  in  itself  is  a great  advantage  on  a 
coast  where  storms  are  frequent,  and  where  ships  often  find  the 
want  of  a place  of  refuge. 


Zanzibar. 

The  large  and  fertile  island  of  Zanzibar,  in  latitude  6°  south 
and  longitude  41°  east,  has  for  many  years  past  been  the 
principal  settlement  of  the  Arabs  in  Eastern  Africa.  It  is 
situated  between  the  islands  of  Pemba  and  Monffa,  about 
twenty  miles  from  that  part  of  the  continent  known  as  the 
coast  of  Zanguebar.  The  town,  which  contains  a number  of 
good  houses,  including  several  mosques  and  minarets,  is  built 


334 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 

on  the  west  side  of  the  island ; and  the  population  is  estimated 
at  30,000.  The  soil  is  generally  rich  and  productive ; and 
most  of  the  vegetables,  fruits,  and  plants  common  in  the  tropics 
flourish  with  ordinary  care  and  culture.  The  settlement  is, 
however,  more  dependent  upon  trade  and  commerce  than 
upon  agriculture  for  its  comparative  prosperity.  The  inhabit- 
ants, with  the  exception  of  a few  foreigners,  who  have  been 
permitted  to  settle  on  the  island,  are  rigid  Mohammedans, 
and  are  generally  intolerant  to  persons  of  any  other  religious 
profession. 

When  the  slave  trade  was  driven  from  the  western  coast  of 
Africa,  by  the  influence  of  Christian  missions  and  the  vigilance 
of  British  cruisers,  it  found  its  way  to  the  eastern  section  of  the 
great  continent,  and  flourished  for  some  time  in  a manner  never 
known  before.  Zanzibar,  which  had  previously  been  the  general 
slave  depot  or  head-quarters  of  the  horrid  traffic  in  these  parts, 
rapidly  rose  to  a position  of  great  wealth  and  influence ; and 
the  slave  market  there  was  an  institution  which  attracted  the 
notice  and  excited  the  disgust  and  indignation  of  strangers  of 
almost  every  creed  and  country.  Nothing  could  be  more 
revolting  than  to  see  intending  purchasers  examining  the  teeth 
of  the  poor  creatures,  and  otherwise  testing  their  physical 
qualities,  as  they  would  those  of  horses  or  other  brute  beasts 
offered  for  sale  by  auction.  Tens  of  thousands  of  negro  slaves 
were  known  to  pass  through  this  depot  annually  on  their  way 
to  Egypt  and  various  parts  of  Turkey  ; and  the  British  Govern- 
ment, having  previously  taken  a deep  and  lively  interest  in  this 
question,  felt  bound  to  adopt  prompt  and  energetic  measures 
for  the  suppression  of  the  horrid  traffic.  Ships  of  war  were 
accordingly  sent  to  cruise  on  the  eastern  coast,  with  a view  to 
capture  any  slave-dhows  they  might  meet  with;  and  a British 
consul  was  appointed  to  reside  at  Zanzibar,  with  instructions  to 
use  his  best  influence  with  the  sultan  to  secure,  if  possible,  the 
suppression  of  the  slave  trade,  and  to  report  to  his  Government 
from  time  to  time  the  course  of  events. 

Before  long  several  slave-dhows  were  taken  and  condemned. 


[Page  334 


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- > . 


V ’ 

i 'V.  ■ 

• • ■ ■ 


• V'  ■■ 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa, 


335 


and  the  slaves  liberated ; and  the  sultan  was  induced  to  pro- 
hibit the  importation  and  sale  of  slaves  at  Zanzibar.  Instead 
of  putting  an  end  to  the  traffic,  however,  these  measures  only 
diverted  its  course.  It  was  soon  found  that  the  slaves  brought 
down  to  the  coast  from  the  neighbourhood  of  N’yassa,  and  the 
other  lake-districts  in  the  interior,  were  taken  along  the  shores 
to  Pemba  that  they  might  avoid  Zanzibar,  which  was  now 
closed  against  them.  The  next  step  was  to  induce  the  sultan 
to  extend  the  prohibition  of  the  trade  in  human  beings  to  all 
the  places  along  the  coast  which  were  in  any  way  under  his 
authority.  Through  the  persistent  and  judicious  influence  of 
Dr.  Kirk,  the  consul,  and  the  wise  diplomacy  of  Sir  Bartle^ 
Frere,  Her  Majesty’s  Special  Commissioner,  who  was  sent  out 
for  the  purpose,  this  desirable  object  was  accomplished,  appro- 
priate proclamations  being  issued  in  April  1876,  setting  forth 
the  commands  of  the  sultan  and  the  determination  of  the 
British  Government.  These  measures  were  greatly  promoted 
by  the  startling  revelations  of  Dr.  Livingstone,  Mr.  Stanley,  and 
others,  with  reference  to  what  they  had  witnessed  of  the  horrors 
of  the  slave  trade  in  the  interior ; and  the  result  has  been  the 
gradual  suppression  of  the  infamous  traffic  to  a considerable 
extent  in  the  sultan’s  dominions,  as  it  can  only  now  be  carried 
on  by  a system  of  smuggling  which  incurs  much  risk,  being 
carefully  watched  by  the  authorities. 

Whilst  Zanzibar  may  have  made  some  sacrifices  by  the  loss 
of  the  slave  trade  and  the  honourable  manner  in  which  the 
sultan  has  carried  out  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  he  en- 
tered into  with  the  British  Government  for  the  suppression 
of  the  infamous  traffic,  it  has  gained  much  more  in  the  appre- 
ciation and  confidence  which  it  has  won  from  the  civilized 
nations  of  Europe  and  America,  the  result  of  which  will  no 
doubt  be  a large  increase  of  legitimate  trade  and  commerce. 
The  place  is  already  used  to  a considerable  extent  as  a starting 
point  for  travellers  and  missionaries  setting  out  for  the  in- 
terior; and  as  a depot  for  supplies  of  various  kinds  which  are 
required  from  time  to  time.  As  Central  Africa  becomes  more 


336 


Africa:  Past  and  Present, 


and  more  opened  up  for  the  introduction  of  civilization,  com- 
merce, and  Christianity,  Zanzibar  will  increase  in  importance  ; 
and  when  its  deluded  Mussulman  inhabitants  are  brought 
under  the  benign  influence  of  the  Gospel,  they  may  take  an 
honourable  part,  along  with  those  of  other  settlers  on  the 
eastern  coast,  in  spreading  the  light  of  Divine  truth  into  the 
interior  of  the  vast  continent,  with  relation  to  which  they 
occupy  such  a commanding  position.  Already  there  are  agencies 
and  influences  at  work  on  the  island  of  Zanzibar  of  a very 
hopeful  and  promising  character,  and,  with  the  blessing  of 
God,  the  results  may  exceed  our  most  sanguine  expectations. 

Aden. 

The  extensive  coast-line  between  Zanzibar  and  the  Gulf  of 
Aden  is  dotted  with  numerous  small  settlements  or  trading 
stations  occupied  chiefly  by  Arabs,  and  more  or  less  dependent 
on  Zanzibar.  As  these  in  time  past  have  also  been  largely 
dependent  upon  the  slave  trade,  the  inhabitants  will  no  doubt 
feel  the  consequences  of  the  prohibition ; but  it  is  hoped  that 
they  will  now  be  induced  to  turn  their  attention  more  to  legiti- 
mate commerce  and  agricultural  pursuits,  that  the  resources  of 
their  splendid  country  may  be  more  fully  developed. 

The  town  of  Aden  itself  stands  upon  a rocky  barren  point  of 
land  which  was  ceded  to  the  East  India  Company  in  1839, 
as  a station  for  British  steamers  to  take  in  coals  and  other 
supplies  on  their  voyages  to  and  from  India  and  Australia. 
Since  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal  it  has  been  extensively 
used  for  this  purpose.  With  the  exception  of  a few  steam- 
packet  company’s  officials  and  British  merchants  and  other 
settlers,  the  population  of  Aden,  which  is  estimated  at  40,000, 
is  similar  in  many  respects  to  that  which  we  find  at  Zanzibar. 
A large  number  of  the  lower  class  of  Arabs  are  employed  about 
the  wharves  and  coaling  depots,  whilst  a few  of  the  more  intelli- 
gent members  of  the  community  are  occupied  in  mercantile 
pursuits  and  in  the  performance  of  various  duties  connected 
with  the  shipping,  which  has  largely  increased  of  late  years. 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa,  337 

The  land  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  town  is  rocky  and 
barren  in  the  extreme,  and  nothing  is  done  in  the  way  of 
agriculture  beyond  the  cultivation  of  a few  gardens  in  the 
most  favoured  spots,  for  the  production  of  vegetables,  which  are 
greatly  in  demand  on  the  arrival  of  ships  in  the  port. 

Some  spacious  and  substantial  buildings  have  been  erected 
of  late  years  at  Aden,  for  various  purposes  connected  with  the 
shipping;  and  when  a steam-packet  arrives  from  England  or 
from  India,  a busy  scene  is  presented  to  the  view.  The  vessel 
has  no  sooner  rounded  Steamer  Point  than  a score  of  small 
boats  put  off  from  the  shore  with  their  various  commodities  of 
fruit,  vegetables,  and  curiosities  for  sale ; and  the  ship  is 
scarcely  at  anchor  before  she  is  completely  surrounded  by  the 
noisy  and  clamorous  Arabs  in  their  frail  barks,  each  of  whom 
holds  up  something  to  view  to  attract  the  notice  of  the  sailors 
and  passengers.  This  goes  on  during  the  whole  of  the  time 
that  ships  are  in  the  port;  but  the  most  curious  thing  to  be  ■ 
seen  at  Aden  is  the  diving  of  the  little  Arab  boys.  The  little 
copper- coloured  urchins  leave  the  boats  and  swim  round  the 
ship  begging  for  money ; and  when  a sixpenny  or  threepenny 
piece  is  thrown  overboard  by  one  of  the  passengers  it  is  quickly 
followed  in  its  descent  in  the  water  by  the  little  divers,  the 
most  expert  of  whom  generally  succeeds  in  seizing  it  before  it 
reaches  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  when  he  quickly  emerges  to  the 
surface  and  holds  it  up  in  triumph,  amid  the  noisy  tumult  of 
his  companions,  who  clamour  for  a repetition  of  the  experi- 
ment, each  hoping  to  gain  a prize  in  his  turn. 

VVe  have  often  thought  that  the  native  genius  and  shrewd- 
ness here  displayed  might  be  turned  to  good  account  if  these 
Arab  boys  were  properly  instructed  in  Christian  schools,  and 
trained  for  higher  and  nobler  pursuits  ; but,  so  far  as  we  know, 
little  or  nothing  has  been  done  as  yet  for  the  social  and  moral 
benefit  of  these  poor  outcasts.  It  is  earnestly  to  be  hoped  that 
they  will  not  be  allowed  to  remain  much  longer  in  their  present 
neglected  state.  A mission  might  be  easily  established  at  a 
place  with  which  we  have  so  much  intercourse. 


22 


338 


Aj‘>  ica : Past  and  Present, 


Christian  Missions. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  his  successful  mission  to  Zanzibar, 
Sir  Bartle  Frere  published  a small  volume  entitled  “Eastern 
Africa  as  a Field  of  Missionary  Labour.”  In  this  interesting 
book  we  have  a concise  account  of  what  has  already  been  done 
by  the  evangelical  agencies  at  work  in  that  part  of  the  world, 
a statement  of  the  facilities  which  are  afforded  for  Christian 
effort,  and  a powerful  appeal  on  behalf  of  those  in  whose  welfare 
the  philanthropic  author  had  become  so  deeply  interested. 
From  this  and  other  sources  of  information  we  glean  a few 
facts  which  may  prove  acceptable  to  the  reader. 

It  is  stated  that,  starting  from  a point  on  the  Red  Sea  opposite 
the  town  of  Aden,  Eastern  Africa  embraces  the  districts  of  the 
Somalis  and  Galla  tribes  on  the  north,  the  Wanika  and  Zambezi 
countries  with  the  kingdom  of  Zanzibar  in  the  centre,  and  the 
Portuguese  settlements  and  neighbouring  territories  in  the  south. 
The  population  consists  of  four  or  five  millions  of  negroes, 
about  the  same  number  of  Somalis,  and  eight  or  nine  millions 
of  Gallas,  together  with  a considerable  number  of  Barrians, 
and  others  of  Indian  origin,  seventy  or  eighty  thousand  Arabs, 
and  a few  Portuguese,  Americans,  and  Europeans  of  different 
nations.  Various  languages  are  spoken  in  this  extensive  region, 
but  there  is  less  opposition  to  the  entrance  of  the  Gospel  than 
in  some  other  parts  of  Africa.  No  dominant  superstition  stands 
in  the  way  of  its  reception.  There  is  little  idolatry  or  fetish 
worship,  such  as  is  found  on  the  western  coast,  and  there  are 
few  barbarous  or  unnatural  rites  practised  by  the  natives. 
Among  the  Mohammedan  population  the  influence  of  their 
own  creed  is  on  the  decline. 

Among  these  people  the  following  missionary  agencies  are 
employed ; — The  Roman  Catholics  have  two  stations,  one  at 
Aden  as  the  base  of  operations  for  Shoa  and  Abyssinia,  where 
a few  children  of  liberated  Africans  are  instructed ; and  another 
at  Zanzibar,  where  they  have  extensive  premises,  large  schools, 
and  a seminary  for  training  native  clergy.  The  Protestant 
churches  of  Europe  have  three  missions  in  the  same  region : 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 


339 


one  founded  in  1844  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society  at 
Mombasa;  a second  commenced  in  i860  under  Bishop  Mac- 
kenzie by  the  Universities  of  Oxford,  Cambridge,  and  Durham, 
commonly  called  the  Universities’  Mission,  which  has  its  centre 
at  Zanzibar;  and  a third  established  by  the  United  Methodist 
Free  Churches  at  Rib6,  north  of  Mombasa.  In  addition  to 
these  important  missions  have  been  organized  for  the  benefit 
of  the  native  tribes  in  the  far  distant  interior  of  Central  Africa, 
the  history  of  which  will  demand  a passing  notice. 

In  the  meantime  we  may  offer  a few  observations  on  the 
Protestant  missions  which  have  been  planted  on  the  islands 
and  coast-line  of  Eastern  Africa.  The  first  in  the  field  was 
Dr.  Krapff,  a zealous  and  devoted  German  who  went  there  in 
the  service  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  The  enterprising 
Doctor  had  previously  laboured  for  several  years  in  the  province 
of  Shoa,  and  when  the  Abyssinian  government  prohibited  his 
longer  residence  there  he  removed  to  Mombasa,  where  he  laid 
the  foundation  of  a new  station  under  promising  circumstances. 
The  head-quarters  of  the  mission  were  afterwards  removed  to 
Kisulidini,  a place  some  thirty  miles  higher  up  the  estuary,  as 
being  a more  healthy  locality.  When  the  way  appeared  to  open 
up  for  usefulness  among  the  Gallas  and  other  important  tribes, 
Dr.  Krapff  was  joined  by  four  additional  devoted  labourers, 
who  were  sent  out  by  the  Society  to  aid  him  in  his  work,  and 
the  mission  had  every  promise  of  success.  But  alas  ! sickness 
and  death  soon  thinned  the  ranks  and  disappointed  many 
hopes.  One  only  of  the  missionary  band,  Mr.  Rebmann,  had 
strength  to  hold  out  against  the  climate.  He  remained  at  his 
solitary  post  of  duty  several  years  after  the  Doctor  had  been 
obliged  to  embark  for  Europe;  but  in  1856  he  was  driven  by 
the  hostile  incursions  of  savage  native  tribes  to  take  refuge  in 
the  island  of  Mombasa,. and  for  two  years  the  mission  on  the 
mainland  seemed  to  be  at  an  end.  Mr.  Rebmann  resolved  not 
to  lose  sight  of  its  ruins,  however,  and  employed  his  waiting 
time  in  preparing  a translation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  the 
language  of  the  people  among  whom  he  laboured. 


340 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


At  length  the  desire  of  the  lonely  missionary  was  gratified 
by  a cordial  invitation  to  return  to  Kisulidini,  and  the  hearty 
welcome  which  he  received  on  going  there  proved  that  God 
had  further  work  for  His  servant  to  do  among. a people  who 
had  so  long  been  deprived  of  the  privilege  of  hearing  the 
Gospel.  For  years  Mr.  Rebmann  laboured  single-handed  in 
this  dark  and  desolate  spot,  and  managed  to  keep  alive  the 
spark  of  light  which  Dr.  Krapff  and  his  associates  had  been 
the  means  of  kindling.  After  long  and  patient  waiting,  relief 
came.  The  deep  interest  called  forth  by  Dr.  Livingstone’s 
last  despatches  and  death  stirred  up  the  Church  at  home  to 
fresh  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  African  race,  and  a much-needed 
reinforcement  was  sent  out  to  strengthen  the  mission  on  the 
eastern  coast,  including  Mr.  Price  and  Jacob  Wainwright, 
Dr.  Livingstone’s  faithful  negro  servant.  When  they  arrived 
at  Kisulidini  they  found  Mr.  Rebmann  aged,  feeble,  and  almost 
blind,  but  still  the  centre  of  a little  band  of  native  converts  at 
the  old  mission  premises.  The  afflicted  missionary  soon  after- 
wards embarked  for  England,  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  some 
relief  in  reference  to  his  sight  by  a surgical  operation  on  his 
eyes,  and  the  work  was  carried  on  by  his  successors. 

Meanwhile,  about  the  year  1863,  when  the  Church  of  England 
mission  in  Eastern  Africa  was  in  the  neglected  state  already 
mentioned,  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  United  Methodist  Free 
Churches  was  induced  to  undertake  a mission  to  that  part  of  the 
world.  The  ministers  selected  for  this  service  were  the  Revs. 
Messrs.  New  and  Wakefield.  On  reaching  their  destination,  they 
fixed  their  head-quarters  at  a place  called  Rib^,  about  eighteen 
miles  north  of  Mombasa,  and  entered  on  their  work  in  the  true 
missionary  spirit.  For  several  years  these  devoted  servants  of 
God  were  engaged  in  preparatory  work,  erecting  buildings, 
cultivating  garden  grounds,  exploring  the  country,  learning  the 
native  language,  preparing  translations,  teachin  school,  and 
preaching  the  Gospel  as  they  had  opportunity.  The  difficulties 
with  which  they  had  to  contend  were  numerous,  and  the  pro- 
gress of  the  work  was  necessarily  slow.  According  to  the  last 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa.  341 

report,  about  forty  or  fifty  native  converts  had  been  gathered 
into  the  fold  of  Christ,  and  a few  scholars  were  receiving 
instruction  in  the  mission  school,  and  the  mission  was  gradu- 
ally winning  the  confidence  of  the  neighbouring  tribes.  The 
unhealthy  character  of  the  climate  here,  as  on  the  western 
coast,  is  the  greatest  hindrance  to  the  progress  of  the  work. 
A few  years  ago  the  Rev.  C.  New  fell  a sacrifice  to  its  fatal 
influence,  and  more  recently  still  Mrs.  Wakefield  sickened 
and  died,  and  the  mission  stands  in  great  need  of  reinforce- 
ment. 

The  mission  work  of  the  Church  of  England  in  Eastern 
Africa  received  a large  accession  of  strength  in  1864,  when 
Bishop  Tozer  was  sent  forth  at  the  head  of  a new  organization 
called  the  Central  Africa  or  Universities’  Mission,  intended  to 
succeed  in  some  way  a previous  enterprise  with  a similar  name, 
the  melancholy  history  of  which  we  shall  have  tO'  notice  farther 
on.  Instead  of  proceeding  at  once  into  the  interior,  as  was  at 
first  intended,  the  Bishop  fixed  his.  head  quarters  at  Zanzibar, 
where  commodious  mission  premises-  were  erected  or  fitted  up, 
a printing-press  established,  schools  opened,  and  grounds  laid 
out  for  the  training  of  native  youths  in-  habits  of  industry.  A 
second  station  was  subsequently  formed  at  Magila  on  the 
mainland,  to  which  was  given  the  name  of  Frere  Town,  in 
honour  of  the  philanthropic  Governor  of  the  Cape  Colony. 
At  the  place  last  named  a number  of  liberated  slaves  have  been 
received  for  training,  the  more  intelligent  of  whom  have  been 
placed  under  special  instructions  with  the  hope  of  their  being 
ultimately  employed  as  native  teachers  and  preachers.  Some 
progress  has  also  been  made  in  the  work  of  translating  school 
books  into  the  Swahili  language  by  Dr.  Steer,  the  superintendent 
of  the  mission ; but  all  that  has  yet  been  done  is  quite  of  a 
preparatory  character. 

Makololo  Mission. 

We  must  now  call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  the  successive 
efforts  which  have  been  made  to  promote  the  social  and  spiritual 


342  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

welfare  of  the  native  tribes  inhabiting  the  distant  regions  of 
Central  Africa,  since  that  portion  of  the  great  continent  was 
in  a measure  laid  open.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Dr, 
Livingstone,  the  eminent  African  traveller  and  explorer,  was 
originally  a Christian  missionary ; and  although  his  published 
narratives  do  not  contain  so  much  of  the  missionary  element 
as  some  of  his  friends  anticipated,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but 
wherever  he  went  he  felt  a deep  interest  in  the  moral  and 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  people  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
Hence  his  untiring  efforts  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade, 
and  the  encouragement  he  gave  to  the  introduction  of  legitimate 
commerce  and  Christianity  into  the  heathen  countries  which 
he  explored. 

On  his  return  to  England,  after  his  great  journey  across  the 
continent  of  Africa  in  1856,  the  good  Doctor  urged  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  in  whose  service  he  had  previously  been 
engaged,  to  establish  a mission  on  the  banks  of  the  Zambezi, 
with  a tribe  of  natives  known  as  the  Makololo,  with  the  view 
of  reaching  other  tribes  in  the  interior  through  them.  A mission 
was  organized  accordingly,  which  was  to  start  from  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  direct  for  the  interior,  whilst  the  Doctor  himself 
went  round  by  the  eastern  coast,  purposing  to  meet  the 
missionaries  in  the  valley  of  the  Zambezi,  and  to  introduce 
them  to  the  chiefs  with  whom  he  was  personally  acquainted. 
The  missionaries  selected  for  this  service  were  the  Revs. 
Messrs.  Helmore  and  Price,  the  first  of  whom  was  a middle- 
aged  minister,  with  a wife  and  family,  and  had  laboured  in 
South  Africa  for  several  years  previously,  whilst  Mr.  Price 
was  a young  man,  recently  married,  and  was  entering  upon 
mission  work  for  the  first  time.  They  both  appeared  eminently 
fitted  for  the  arduous  and  hazardous  work  to  which  they  were 
designated,  and  the  present  writer  had  much  pleasant  inter- 
course with  them  and  their  families  during  their  sojourn  in 
Cape  Town,  making  preparations  for  their  long  and  weary 
journey.  On  the  29th  of  August,  1858,  I had  the  pleasure  of 
hearing  Mr.  Helmore  preach  at  Mowbray,  near  Cape  Town, 


Eastern  a7id  Central  Africa.  343 

soon  after  which  he  and  his  party  left  for  the  interior,  and  we 
saw  them  no  more. 

The  incidents  of  the  journey,  as  well  as  the  issue  of  this 
mission,  were  the  most  afflictive  and  distressing.  The  season 
was  unusually  dry;  and  the  mission  waggons  had  scarcely 
passed  the  boundary  of  the  Cape  Colony  when  water  and 
grass  for  the  oxen  became  exceedingly  scarce,  and  their  progress 
was  consequently  slow  and  dreary.  As  they  advanced  farther 
into  the  interior  the  difficulties  alluded  to  increased,  and  several 
of  the  oxen  being  fairly  “knocked  up,”  fell  down  one  after 
another  and  died.  Their  places  were  supplied  with  difficulty 
by  cattle  purchased  from  the  natives,  and  the  missionaries 
pushed  on  with  a degree  of  courage  and  perseverance  worthy 
of  the  highest  commendation.  But  when  they  came  to  cross 
the  outskirts  of  the  Kalahari  desert,  as  Dr.  Livingstone  and^ 
Mr.  Oswell  had  done  a few  years  before,  their  sufferings 
reached  their  climax,  and  they  had  a narrow  escape  from 
perishing  in  the  wilderness.  Mrs.  Helmore,  the  wife  of  the 
senior  missionary,  who  had  previously  had  considerable 
experience  in  mission  work  and  African  travelling,  gives  the 
following  touching  account  of  their  trying  position  at  this 
time,  in  a letter  addressed  to  her  sister  in  England : — 

“ We  are  expecting  rain  this  month,  and  are  longing  for  it  as  those  only 
can  long  who  have  travelled  through  a dreary  and  parched  wilderness  where 
no  water  is.  Our  poor  oxen  were  at  one  time  four  and  at  another  five  days 
without  drinking.  We  also  suffered  much  ourselves  from  thirst,  being 
obliged  to  economize  the  little  water  we  had  in  our  vessels,  not  knowing 
when  we  should  get  more.  Tuesday,  the  6th  inst.,  was  one  of  the  most 
trying  days  I ever  passed.  About  sunrise  the  poor  oxen,  which  had  been 
dragging  the  heavy  waggons  through  the  sands  during  the  night,  stopping 
now  and  then  to  draw  breath,  gave  signs  of  giving  up  altogether.  My 
husband  now  resolved  to  remain  behind  with  one  waggon  and  a single 
man,  while  I and  the  children  and  the  rest  of  the  people  went  forward  with 
all  the  oxen,  thinking  that  we  .should  certainly  reach  water  before  night.  We 
had  had  a very  scanty  supply  the  day  before ; the  men  had  not  tasted  drink 
since  breakfast  till  late  in  the  evening.  We  divided  a bottleful  among  four 
of  them.  There  now  remained  only  five  bottles  of  water.  I gave  my 
husband  throe,  and  reserved  two  for  the  children,  expecting  that  we  should 


344 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


get  water  first.  It  was  a sorrowful  parting,  for  we  were  all  faint  from 
thirst,  and  of  course  eating  was  out  of  the  question.  After  dragging  on  for 
four  hours,  the  heat  obliged  us  to  stop. 

“ The  poor  children  continually  asked  for  water.  I put  them  off  as  long 
as  I could,  and  when  they  could  be  denied  no  longer,  doled  the  precious 
fluid  out  a spoonful  at  once  to  each  of  them.  Poor  Selina  and  Harry  cried 
bitterly.  Willie  bore  up  manfully  ; but  his  sunken  eyes  showed  how  much 
he  suffered.  As  for  Lizzie,  she  did  not  utter  a single  word  of  complaint, 
nor  even  ask  for  water,  but  lay  all  day  upon  the  ground  perfectly  quiet, 
her  lips  quite  parched  and  blackened.  At  sunset  we  made  another  attempt, 
and  got  on  about  five  miles.  The  people  proposed  going  on  with  the 
oxen  in  search  of  water,  promising  to  return  with  a supply  to  the  waggon, 
but  I urged  their  resting  a little,  and  then  making  another  attempt,  that 
we  might  if  possible  get  near  enough  to  walk  to  it.  They  yielded,  tied 
up  the  oxen  to  prevent  their  wandering,  and  lay  down  to  sleep,  having 
tasted  neither  food  nor  drink  all  day.  None  of  us  could  eat.  I gave  the 
children  a little  dried  fruit,  slightly  acid,  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  but 
thirst  took  away  all  desire  to  eat. 

“The  water  being  long  since  gone,  as  a last  resource  just  before  dark  I 
divided  among  the  children  half  a teaspoonful  of  wine  and  water,  which  I 
had  reserved  in  case  I should  feel  faint.  They  were  revived  by  it,  and  said, 

‘ How  nice  it  was  !’  though  it  scarcely  allayed  their  thirst.  Harry  at  length 
cried  himself  to  sleep,  and  the  rest  were  dozing  feverishly.  It  was  a 
beautiful  moonlight  night,  but  the  air  was  hot  and  sultry.  I sat  in  front  of 
the  waggon  unable  to  sleep,  hoping  that  water  might  arrive  before  the 
children  awoke  on  another  day.  About  half-past  ten  I saw  some  persons 
approaching.  They  proved  to  be  two  Bakalahari  natives,  bringing  a tin 
canteen  half  full  of  water,  and  a note  from  Mrs.  Price,  saying  that,  having 
heard  ol  the  trouble  we  were  in  from  the  man  we  had  sent  forward,  and 
being  themselves  not  very  fe,r  from  water,  they  had  sent  us  all  they  had. 
The  sound  ot  water  soon  roused  the  children,  who  had  tried  in  vain  to 
sleep ; and  1 shall  not  soon  forget  the  rush  they  made  to  get  a drink.  I 
gave  each  of  the  children  and  men  a cupful,  and  then  drank  myself.  It 
was  the  first  liquid  that  had  passed  my  lips  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  I 
had  eaten  nothing.  The  Bakalahari  passed  on,  saying  that  although  they 
had  brought  me  water  they  had  none  themselves.  They  were  merely  passing 
travellers  ; I almost  thought  they  were  angels  sent  from  heaven.  All  now 
slept  comfortably  except  myself ; my  mind  had  been  too  much  excited 
for  sleep,  and  I could  do  nothing  but  praise  the  Lord  for  His  merciful 
interposition  on  our  behalf.” 

In  the  course  of  the  following  day  the  sufferers  were  supplied 
with  a more  ample  stock  of  water  by  their  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Eastern  and  Cejitral  Africa,  345 

Price,  the  junior  missionary  and  his  wife,  who  were  in  advance 
of  them,  and  had  providentially  met  with  a small  fountain. 
The  first  supply  was  brought  in  a calabash  on  the  head  of  a 
native  servant  girl,  who  had  walked  with  her  precious  burden 
four  hours.  Then  came  a pack-ox  with  two  kegs  of  water, 
and  at  length  the  whole  mission  party  reached  the  fountain, 
Mr.  Helmore,  who  had  been  left  behind  in  the  desert,  having 
joined  them,  and  they  all  united  in  praising  God  for  their 
merciful  deliverance  when  thus  exposed  to  “perils  in  the 
wilderness.” 

It  is  painful  to  have  to  record  that  a mission  commenced 
with  the  purest  motives,  and  thus  far  prosecuted  with  the 
noblest  Christian  courage  under  circumstances  of  extreme 
difficulty,  should  have  ended  in  disaster.  But  such,  alas  ! 
was  in  fact  the  case.  As  the  missionaries  with  their  families 
and  waggons  descended  into  the  valley  of  the  Zambezi, 
they  had  an  ample  supply  of  grass  and  water ; but  they  soon 
found  themselves  in  a low  swampy  unhealthy  country.  And 
when  they  reached  their  destination  in  the  Makololo  country, 
they  did  not  meet  with  the  cordial  reception  from  the  chief 
and  his  people  which  they  expected.  Dr.  Livingstone,  who 
was  engaged  in  exploring  the  lower  branches  of  the  majestic 
river,  was  moreover  unable  to  meet  them,  as  he  intended. 
They  naturally  became  discouraged  ; and  before  they  got  any- 
thing done  of  consequence  in  the  way  of  teaching  the  people, 
the  chief  still  withholding  his  consent  to  their  movements,  the 
country  fever  broke  out  among  them  with  fearful  violence. 
Willie,  Lizzie,  Selina,  and  Harry,  Mr.  Helmore’s  four  lovely 
children,  who  had  suffered  so  much  from  thirst  in  the  desert, 
were  smitten  down  one  after  another,  and  in  each  case  the 
fever  proved  fatal.  Their  remains  were  scarcely  committed  to 
the  ground  when  the  bereaved  parents  were  attacked  with  the 
same  fever,  which  in  the  course  of  a few  days  ran  its  fatal 
round,  and  the  remains  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Helmore  were  laid 
by  the  side  of  those  of  their  dear  children.  “ They  were 
lovely  in  life,  and  in  death  they  were  not  divided.” 


346 


Africa  : Pad  and  Present. 


The  Makololo  mission  having  thus  failed  through  circum- 
stances beyond  human  control,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  began  to 
think  of  retracing  their  steps  to  the  Cape  Colony,  and  at 
length,  with  heavy  hearts,  they  yoked  the  oxen  to  the  waggons 
and  turned  their  faces  towards  the  abodes  of  civilized  men. 
But  their  troubles  were  not  yet  ended.  They  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far  before  Mrs.  Price  also  sickened  and  died,  and  the 
bereaved  missionary  had  to  perform  the  mournful  duty  of  com- 
mitting the  remains  of  his  beloved  wife  to  their  lonely  resting 
place  in  the  desert.  What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of 
the  man  of  God,  the  only  survivor  of  the  ill-fated  mission,  as 
he  pursued  his  lonely  and  dreary  journey,  after  committing 
to  the  silent  grave  his  beloved  colleague  together  with  his  wife 
and  their  four  children,  and  last  of  all  his  own  dear  partner, 
his  most  valued  earthly  treasure ! Verily  the  ways  of  God 
are  a great  deep  which  we  cannot  fathom ; but  “ what  we 
know  not  now  we  shall  know  hereafter.” 

Universities’  Mission. 

The  benevolent  and  large-hearted  Dr.  Livingstone,  in  his 
anxiety  to  introduce  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel  and  Christian 
civilization  into  Central  Africa,  was  not  satisfied  with  en- 
deavouring to  interest  the  London  Missionary  Society  in  the 
subject.  Believing  that  the  field  was  large  enough  for  all,  and 
that  the  call  for  Christian  effort  was  imperative,  he  made  an 
appeal  to  the  universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  urging 
them  to  unite  their  contributions,  talents,  and  energies  in  the 
good  work.  In  this  he  was  successful,  and  meetings  were  held 
at  both  places  to  consider  the  subject.  These  were  afterwards 
joined  by  the  learned  institutions  of  Durham  and  Dublin, 
and  the  “ Universities’  Mission”  was  ere  long  organized.  The 
liistory  of  this  Association,  as  traced  by  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  H. 
Rowley,  one  of  the  surviving  members  of  the  mission,  in  a 
volume  which  consists  chiefly  of  a journal  of  events  reduced 
to  the  narrative  form,  is  truly  affecting  and  admonitory. 


347 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 

The  object  of  the  mission  was  in  the  first  place  to  establish  a 
Christian  settlement  on  the  highlands  about  300  miles  from  the 
south-eastern  coast  of  Africa,  as  the  most  likely  locality,  in 
Dr,  Livingstone’s  opinion,  to  prove  healthy  and  eligible,  and  then 
to  push  forward  by  degrees  to  the  heart  of  Central  Africa.  It 
was  proposed  to  reach  this  region  by  the  navigation  of  the 
Zambezi  and  the  Shire,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  it  was  situated. 
A staff  of  six  clergymen,  headed  by  a bishop,  and  accompanied 
by  a doctor,  a carpenter,  and  other  artificers,  were  selected  for 
the  service ; public  support  was  sought  and  secured  in  large 
measure  ; distinguished  patronage  was  accorded  to  the  enter- 
prise, and  Charles  F.  Mackenzie,  then  Archdeacon  of  Natal, 
was  appointed  the  first  Bishop  of  Central  Africa. 

The  necessary  preparations  having  been  made  for  the  com- 
mencement of  the  work,  a farewell  service  was  held  in  the 
Canterbury  Cathedral  on  the  20th  October,  i860,  and  a few 
days  later  the  Bishop-elect,  with  five  others,  sailed  from 
Plymouth,  arrangements  having  been  made  for  the  rest  of  the 
party  to  follow  in  another  vessel.  All  the  members  of  the 
mission  met  in  due  course  at  Cape  Town,  and  after  the  Bishop 
had  been  duly  consecrated,  they  embarked  on  board  one  of 
Her  Majesty’s  ships,  and  arrived  in  safety  at  Johannah  and  the 
mouth  of  the  Zambezi  in  the  month  of  February,  1861,  with  an 
ample  supply  of  stores  for  twelve  months. 

Here  they  met  with  Dr.  Livingstone,  on  the  faith  of  whose 
representations  they  had  come.  He  in  the  meantime  had 
found  unexpected  difficulties  in  transporting  goods  up  the 
Zambezi.  The  country  being  in  the  hands  of  the  slave- 
dealing Portuguese  and  Arabs,  who  were  jealous  of  the 
presence  of  the  English;  every  possible  obstacle  was  thrown 
in  the  way  of  their  enterprise.  With  a view  to  obviate  these. 
Dr.  Livingstone  resolved  to  explore  the  Rovuma,  a river  about 
450  miles  to  the  north,  which  might,  he  hoped,  prove  a safer 
and  more  desirable  route  to  the  highland  region  to  which  the 
mission  party  was  bound.  The  exploration  was  accordingly 
attempted;  but  the  result  was  entire  disappointment.  The 


348 


Africa:  Past  and  Presint. 


river  proved  navigable  only  a short  distance  from  its  mouth, 
and  in  vain  efforts  to  ascend  two  months  were  lost,  the  vessel 
constantly  running  aground  on  the  banks  of  sand  and  mud 
which  everywhere  impeded  their  progress.  And  worse  than 
this,  both  the  explorers  and  their  friends  left  behind  at  Johanna 
became  sadly  invalided  by  the  malaria  fevers  with  which  they 
were  attacked,  and  which  are  so  common  in  the  low  and 
swampy  districts  at  the  mouths  of  the  rivers  in  this  climate. 
And  when  they  did  start  to  ascend  the  Zambezi  and  the  Shire 
they  were  obliged,  from  the  want  of  transport  accommodation, 
to  leave  one-half  of  their  stores  behind. 

After  two  months  of  difficult  rravigaticrr  of  the  Zambezi  and 
the  Shire,  the  Bishop  and  his  party  reached  the  point  whence 
they  were  to  commence  their  ascent  to  the  highlands.  Dr. 
Livingstone  accompanied  them  on  their  upward  march,  and 
in  the  course  of  their  journey  they  encountered  a band  of 
slavers  with  forty-eight  slaves.  These  the  Doctor  attacked,  very 
unwisely  as  we  think,  and  forcibly  released  the  captives  and  dis- 
persed the  captors.  Again  and  again  this  was  done  at  the  expense 
of  a little  battle,  in  which  blood  was  sometimes  shed.  Whether 
the  subsequent  conduct  of  the  missionaries  was  influenced  by 
this  example  or  not  we  cannot  say  ; but  they  should  have  remem- 
bered that  Dr.  Livingstone  was  not  a professed  missionary 
at  this  time,  and  that  it  might  not  be  right  for  them  to  do  in 
every  respect  as  he  did. 

At  length  a site  was  selected  for  a mission  station.  It  was 
named  Magomero,  and  was  a village  of  the  Manganji  tribe, 
near  the  border  of  the  neighbouring  tribe  of  Ajawas.  Both 
had  been  guilty  of  enslaving  their  captives  and  selling  them  to 
the  Portuguese,  two  yards  of  calico  being  the  ordinary  price  of 
a man  or  woman.  The  missionaries  were  no  sooner  settled 
among  them  and  Dr.  Livingstone  gone,  than  the  Manganji, 
seeing  that  they  had  guns,  began  to  entreat  their  aid  in  resisting 
the  warlike  inroads  of  their  neighbours.  Strange  to  say, 
though  he  felt  that  missionaries  ought  not  to  be  warriors,  the 
Bishop  consented  to  the  use  of  rifle  and  gun  on  behalf  of  the 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa.  349 

Manganji,  provided  they  would  promise  that  they  would  never 
have  anything  more  to  do  with  slavery ; to  release  all  the 
captives  they  might  take  ; to  punish  any  of  their  number  who 
in  future  should  sell  their  fellow-creatures,  and  to  give  notice 
of  any  Portuguese  slaving  expedition  which  might  appear  in  the 
country. 

The  Manganji  agreed,  of  course,  to  all  this,  and  the  Bishop, 
apparently  forgetting  for  the  moment  the  peaceful  character  ol 
his  mission,  actually  led  his  little  band  of  Europeans  forth  to 
war  against  a tribe  of  Africans  who  had  never  done  them  any 
harm ! The  account  of  the  battle,  as  given  by  Mr.  Rowley, 
one  of  their  number,  reads  strangely  as  an  episode  in  missionary 
life.  “ A wild  fear  had  seized  the  Ajawa ; they  were  in  full 
retreat  ....  the  air  was  black  with  smoke,  for  the  fire  had  * 
spread  over  the  plain.  Such  a sight  I had  never  seen  before, 
and  trust  I may  never  see  the  like  again.  It  was  only  by 
remembering  the  atrocious  conduct  of  the  Ajawa,  which  for  the 
time  being  had  placed  them  almost  beyond  the  pale  of  pity, 
that  I could  keep  myself  from  being  soul-sick  at  the  scene 
before  me.”  However,  an  attempt  to  fulfil,  after  a fashion,  the 
Master’s  great  commission,  was  associated  with  this  ?/zzmissionary 
expedition.  A dying  Manganji  child  was  among  the  rescued 
captives,  concerning  whom  the  narrator  writes  as  follows : “ Life 
was  evidently  fast  ebbing  away.  Seeing  this  the  Bishop  decided 
upon  baptizing  him,  and  this  poor  child,  under  the  name  of 
Charles  Henry,  was  numbered  among  the  children  of  God,  and 
in  two  hours  afterwards  his  spirit  fled  to  that  dear  Lord  who 
had  redeemed  it.  This  was  a blessed  conclusion  to  the  work 
of  the  day  (!),  and  when  at  last  I lay  down  to  rest,  my  heart 
was  so  full  I could  only  find  relief  in  tears.  The  burial  service 
was  read  over  this  poor  babe  next  day,  and  then  we  left  it  in 
sure  and  certain  hope  of  a joyful  resurrection  to  eternal  life.” 
Later  on  two  or  three  other  children  were  similarly  baptized, 
but  the  Bishop  did  not  think  fit  to  baptize  those  who  seemed 
likely  to  live.  “No  one  more  than  the  Bishop  realized  the 
necessity  of  baptismal  grace,  but  his  previous  experience  among 


■5^ 


Africa  : Past  and  Present, 


the  Zulus  led  him  to  shrink  from  possibly  exposing  regenerate 
childrm  to  the  danger  of  being  left  among  the  heathen  with 
none  to  care  for  their  souls ! ” 

A semi-civilized  village  rose  by  degrees  at  Magomero,  and 
a temporary  church  building  was  erected,  in  which  the  liturgy 
was  read  with  due  solemnity  for  the  members  of  the  mission  ; but 
there  seems  to  have  been  no  preaching  to  the  natives.  “ We  felt 
it  better,”  says  Mr.  Rowley,  “ to  wait  till  w^e  could  speak  the 
language  freely  ourselves  than  -to  give  instructions  through  the 
medium  of  an  illiterate  interpreter,  who  still  clung  to  many  of 
his  old  heathen  superstitions.”  The  liberated  slaves  were  fed 
and  clothed,  and  the  children  taught ; but  no  Gospel  preaching 
was  attempted.  Barter,  building,  warlike  expeditions,  and 
journeys  in  search  of  fresh  supplies  of  food,  seem  to  have  taken 
up  all  the  time  of  the  Bishop  and  his  missionaries.  At  length 
three  new  men  from  England, — one  of  whom  was  a clergyman, 
— joined  the  mission ; but  the  difficulties  and  privations  of  all 
its  members  seemed  to  increase  with  the  lapse  of  time.  All 
suffered  more  or  less  from  fever  in  going  up  and  down  the 
river.  Dr.  Livingstone,  who  was  now  on  the  coast,  moreover 
found  he  could  not  send  up  the  supplies  as  regularly  as  he  had 
hoped,  and  food  began  to  be  very  scarce.  Two  of  the  mission 
party  on  a journey  in  search  of  a land  route,  if  possible,  for 
the  transport  of  supplies,  were  attacked  by  hostile  natives  and 
their  bearers  made  prisoners.  The  Bishop  and  some  of  his 
clergy  started  for  the  rescue,  and  sacked  the  enemy’s  village 
and  burned  it  to  ashes ! These  repeated  raids  did  not  diminish, 
but  rather  tended  to  increase,  the  difficulties  which  surrounded 
the  mission.  At  length  matters  came  to  a mournful  crisis. 

The  supplies  becoming  continually  shorter,  the  Bishop  and 
one  of  his  clergy  started  down  the  river  to  a spot  where  they 
hoped  stores  had  been  sent  for  them.  But  the  exposure  of  a 
most  trying  journey,  disappointment  at  not  finding  the  boats 
and  supplies  they  expected,  detention  on  an  unhealthy  island, 
and  depression  arising  from  the  increasing  difficulties  of  his 
position,  proved  too  much  for  the  bright,  genial,  and  kind- 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa,  351 

hearted  Bishcp  Mackenzie.  He  was  attacked  by  malignant 
fever,  for  which  he  had  no  remedies  on  the  spot,  and  sank 
under  it,  after  five  days’  illness,  during  which  he  was  generally 
unconscious.  He  was  a man  possessed  of  great  capacity  and 
many  excellences,  notwithstanding  his  acknowledged  mistakes, 
and  his  death  was  a great  loss  to  the  mission.  Very  touching 
is  the  account  given  of  the  Bishop’s  lonely  funeral.  His  only 
European  companion  on  this  his  last  journey  was  the  Rev.  H. 
De  Wint  Burrup,  and  he  was  himself  down  with  fever  at  the 
same  time,  and  too  ill  to  witness  the  closing  scene.  The  Mako- 
lolo  cleared  a spot  in  the  bush  and  dug  the  grave,  in  which  the 
remains  of  the  Bishop  were  laid  late  in  the  evening.  “ It  was 
too  dark  for  the  sorrowing  Burrop  to  read  the  burial  service, 
but  he  said  all  he  could  remember ; and  there  on  the  banks  of 
the  Shire,  away  from  all  but  the  heathen  to  whom  he  devoted 
his  life,  in  sure  and  certain  hope  of  a joyful  resurrection,  rests 
what  was  the  soul’s  tabernacle  of  Charles  Frederick  Mackenzie, 
the  first  bishop  of  the  Central  African  Mission.” 

Mr.  Burrop’s  strength  just  held  out  till  he  had  returned  to 
tell  the  sorrowful  tale  to  the  fever  and  famine-stricken  party  at 
Magomero.  There  he  also  sank  into  the  grave.  Miss  Mackenzie 
and  Mrs.  Burrop  came  shortly  afterwards  to  join  their  relatives, 
but  hearing  these  sad  tidings  on  their  way  up  the  river,  they 
returned,  smitten  with  fever  as  well  as  with  grief.  It  was  now 
resolved  by  the  survivors  of  the  mission  party,  as  the  wars  and 
fighting  still  continued,  and  the  difficulties  of  transport  were  so 
great,  to  abandon  Magomero  and  try  to  establish  a settlement 
lower  down  the  river.  They  settled  for  a time  at  the  village  of 
a chief  called  Chisiba;  biit  troubles  followed  here  also,  and  no 
direct  mission  work  was  done,  and  the  subsequent  history  of 
the  mission  was  a history  of  wars,  and  treaties,  and  journeys, 
and  bargains,  and  fevers,  and  deaths.  The  Rev.  C.  H.  Scuda- 
more died  in  January  1863,  and  Dr.  Dickenson  and  a young 
man  named  Thornton  soon  afterwards.  They  were  buried  by 
Dr.  Livingstone,  who  happened  to  come  up  the  river  at  the 
time.  Several  of  the  survivors  were  now  so  completely  inva- 


352 


■ Africa : Past  and  Present. 


lided  that  they  returned  to  England;  the  rest  resolved  on 
resuming  their  former  position  on  the  hills;  but  Bishop  Tozer, 
who  had  been  appointed  as  Bishop  Mackenzie’s  successor, 
decided  on  removing  much  nearer  to  the  coast ; and  after  a 
trial  of  a few  months  longer,  it  was  resolved  to  leave  that  part 
of  Africa  altogether,  and  to  attempt  to  reach  the  interior  from 
some  other  point.  Zanzibar  was  the  place  ultimately  selected ; 
and,  to  use  Dr.  Livingstone’s  expression,  “ the  mission  dege- 
nerated into  a mere  chaplaincy  to  the  Zanzibar  consulate.” 

Livingstonia  Mission  at  Lake  N’yassa. 

The  unhappy  failure  of  the  Makololo  and  Universities’  Mis- 
sions did  not  deter  the  friends  of  Africa  from  making  further 
attempts  to  introduce  the  blessings  of  civilization  and  Chris- 
tianity to  the  interior  regions  of  the  dark  continent.  There 
prevailed  in  many  minds  sanguine  hopes  that  localities  might 
be  found  more  healthy  and  better  adapted  for  centres  of  mis- 
sionary operations  than  any  that  had  hitherto  been  tried ; and 
that,  with  due  care  not  to  interfere  unnecessarily  with  the  secular 
affairs  of  the  people,  and  by  abstaining  entirely  from  taking  part 
in  warlike  contests,  even  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade, 
success  might  yet  be  realized.  This  was  the  case  especially 
with  the  friends  of  missions  in  Scotland,  who  were  the  next  to 
take  action  in  the  matter.  The  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Dr. 
Livingstone,  their  heroic  and  philanthropic  fellow-countryman, 
produced  a powerful  impression  on  the  country  at  large,  and  a 
few  warm-hearted  Christian  ministers  and  gentlemen  conceived 
the  noble  idea  of  following  up  the  conquests  which  he  had  won, 
and  of  erecting  to  his  memory  a monument  in  the  form  of  a 
missionary  settlement  in  Central  Africa,  which  would  be  more 
enduring  and  more  beneficial  in  its  results  than  either  the  tablet 
in  Westminster  Abbey  or  the  statue  erected  in  his  native  land. 

After  mature  deliberation  it  was  resolved  to  make  an  effort 
to  raise  the  sum  of  0,000  as  a fund  with  which  to  commence 
the  enterprise.  For  this  purpose  large  and  enthusiastic  meet- 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa.  ^ 353 

ings  were  held  in  Edinburgh,  Aberdeen,  and  other  places,  in 
the  early  part  of  the  year  1875,  at  which  some  noble  sentiments 
were  expressed,  and  resolutions  passed,  pledging  the  Presby- 
terians of  Scotland,  both  of  the  Established  and  Free  Churches, 
to  do  their  utmost  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  philanthropic 
scheme  just  mentioned.  Contributions  flowed  in  apace,  two 
gentlemen  each  giving  the  noble  sum  of  ^1000,  another  ^^500, 
and  many  more  according  to  their  ability ; so  that  the  com- 
mittee that  was  formed  soon  found  itself  in  a position  to  proceed 
to  business. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  statement  and  appeal  issued 
by  the  committee  will  more  fully  explain  the  plan  and  object  of 
the  enterprise  : “ The  river  Shire  is  a tributary  of  the  Zambezi, 
connecting  it  with  I.ake  N’yassa.  The  proposed  place  for  the 
station  contemplated  is  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Maclear, 
at  the  southern  end  of  the  lake.  This  lake  from  the  Upper 
Shire  to  its  northern  extremity  reaches  200  miles,  with  a breadth  ’ 
of  from  eighteen  to  fifteen  miles.  It  abounds  with  fine  harbours, 
is  stored  with  great  varieties  of  delicious  fish,  and  is  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  fertile  territory,  rising  towards  mountainous 
regions,  all  abundantly  watered  with  numerous  streams  flowing 
into  the  lake,  and  clothed  with  vegetation  of  the  most  splendid 
luxuriance.  The  lake  was  discovered  by  Dr.  Livingstone,  \vho 
explored  it  in  1861,  and  again  went  down  its  eastern  side  and 
round  the  south  end  in  1866,  on  his  way  to  the  ‘Fountains  of 
the  Nile.’  After  the  death  of  Bishop  Mackenzie  and  the 
breaking  up  of  his  mission  in  the  unhealthy  regions  of  the 
Lower  Shire,  the  great  traveller,  profiting  by  his  experience, 
and  ever  anxious  that  missions  should  be  placed  among  the 
inland  tribes,  often  spoke  of  this  country  as  the  most  healthy 
and  suitable  for  such  a settlement,  and  lamented  in  no  measured 
terms  the  determination  which  kept  the  Bishop’s  successor  on 
the  coast.  Mr.  Young,  echoing  Dr.  Livingstone’s  eulogies  of 
the  Lake  N’yassa  region,  and  his  disappointment  that  no  mission 
had  entered  into  it,  says : ‘ Here,  if  anywhere,  I believe  a 
healthy  and  flourishing  settlement  might  be  established.’  ” 

23 


354 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


Adverting  to  other  questions,  the  circular  says  : “ The  com- 
mittee are  advised  that  the  mission  should  be  of  an  industrial 
as  well  as  of  an  evangelical  nature.  In  forming  a Christian 
settlement  it  will  be  necessary  to  teach  the  natives  some  of  our 
industries,  such  as  gardening,  ploughing,  and  joiner-work.  The 
land  is  rich  in  all  vegetable  products;  and,  in  addition  to  the 
exuberance  of  the  tropics,  is  capable  of  producing,  on  the 
higher  grounds,  the  grain  and  the  fruits  of  temperate  regions ; 
so  that  a mission  once  established  would  be  able  to  live  almost 
entirely  on  the  produce  of  the  country.  The  whole  region  of 
the  Shire  is  fitted  for  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  which  grows 
wild,  and  is  of  fine  quality.  The  abundant  resources  of  the 
country  are  at  present  totally  neglected,  in  consequence  of  the 
slave  trade,  the  horrors  of  which  it  is  impossible  fully  to  set 
forth,  and  which  nothing  but  the  Gospel  and  Christian  civili- 
zation can  remedy.  It  is  computed  that  19,000  slaves  are 
annually  carried  across  Lake  N’yassa  on  their  way  to  the  coast. 
But  all  this  must  come  to  an  end.  The  memorial  which 
Dr.  Livingstone  implores  at  our  hands  is  the  gift  of  Christ’s 
messengers  to  the  African  people.  ‘ He  being  dead,  yet 
speaketh.’  Let  us  promptly  respond  to  the  call.” 

At  length,  the  necessary  preparations  having  been  made,  and 
suitable  agents  engaged  to  commence  the  new  mission,  about  the 
middle  of  the  year  they  embarked  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
The  expedition  consisted  of  Mr.  E.  D.  Young,  of  the  Royal  Navy, 
who  had  previously  been  with  Dr.  Livingstone  in  Africa ; Rev. 
Dr.  Robert  Laws;  Mr.  Henry  Henderson;  Mr.  George  Johnson, 
carpenter;  Mr.  John  Macfadyen  and  Mr.  Allan  Simpson, 
engineers  and  smiths ; Mr.  Alexander  Riddel,  agriculturalist, 
and  Mr.  William  Baker,  able  seaman.  They  were  furnished 
with  an  ample  supply  of  stores  of  every  description,  including 
seeds,  tools,  articles  for  barter,  and  a small  iron  steamer  in 
sections,  to  be  put  together  and  launched  on  the  river  or  lake 
when  they  reached  their  destination. 

Having  called  at  Cape  Town  and  Port  Elizabeth,  the  expe- 
dition arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Zambezi  on  the  23rd  July, 


355 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 

1875,  when  they  commenced  at  once  to  put  together  the  little 
steamer,  and  to  make  other  preparations  for  ascending  the  river. 
Writing  on  the  8th  August,  among  other  things  Dr.  Laws  says : 
“ Saturday  and  Monday  were  employed  in  putting  up  a shed 
to  keep  off  the  sun’s  rays  while  working  at  the  Ilala.  On 
Monday  evening  her  keel  was  laid,  and  on  Tuesday,  the  week 
following,  she  was  successfully  launched  on  the  Zambezi,  Next 
day  she  was  brought  alongside  the  Harah,  and  the  boilers  were 
put  in  their  places.  On  Saturday  the  masts  were  in,  and  steam 
up;  everything  highly  satisfactory.  To-morrow  we  intend  to 
start  up  the  river.” 

On  ascending  the  Lower  Shire  to  the  rapids,  the  little  steamer 
Ilala  had  to  be  unscrewed,  taken  to  pieces,  and  conveyed  in 
sections,  in  common  with  ordinary  stores  and  baggage,  on  the 
heads  and  shoulders  of  native  carriers,  a distance  of  about 
sixty  miles  before  it  could  be  put  together  and  launched  again’ 
on  the  Upper  Shire,  which  is  immediately  connected  with  Lake 
N’yassa.  This  herculean  task  was  accomplished  with  amazing 
despatch  and  success,  without  the  occurrence  of  any  serious 
casualty;  and  on  the  24th  October  Mr.  Young  wrote  as  follows: 
“ I have  the  honour  to  report,  for  the  information  of  the 
committee,  that  the  steamer  Ilala  was  successfully  launched 
on  the  Upper  Shire  on  the  6th  instant,  and  started  for  N’yassa 
on  the  8th,  which  was  reached  on  the  12  th.  The  steamer  is 
quite  a success — sails  well,  and  steams  seven  knots,  an  hour 
with  one  boiler.  Our  party  are  all  well  and  in  good  spirits. 
Before  entering  Lake  N’yassa,  I called  upon  the  powerful  chief 
Moponda,  and  informed  him  of  the  object  of  our  mission.  He 
appeared  very  pleased,  and  at  once  gave  us  permission  to  settle 
on  any  part  of  his  land.  He  is  the  owner  of  the  whole  of  the 
Cape  Maclear  peninsula.  We  took  a running  survey  of  the 
whole  of  the  coast  with  very  fine  weather ; and  although  there 
are  many  delightful  spots  fit  for  a settlement,  none  offer  sufficient 
protection  to  the  steamer  except  a beautiful  bay  at  Cape  Maclear, 
where  we  have  decided  to  settle  for  the  present.” 

About  the  same  time  Dr.  Laws  wrote  as  follows  : “ Another 


356 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


stage  of  our  journey  has  been  reached,  and,  for  the  time  being, 
I suppose,  I may  say  ‘that  Livingstonia  is  begun,  though  at 
present  a piece  of  canvas  stretched  between  two  trees,  forming 
a sort  of  tent,  is  all  that  stands  for  the  future  city  of  that  name. 
I am  glad  to  say  that  only  one  more  of  our  party  has  had  fever 
— Baker,  our  seaman.  And  since  the  recovery  of  the  others, 
good  health  has  been  the  order  of  the  day.  On  our  way  up  we 
passed  through  some  of  the  grandest  scenery  I ever  beheld  on 
the  banks  of  the  Upper  Shire.  Hills  towering  some  of  them  two 
or  three  thousand  feet  above  the  plain,  while  the  river  wound 
its  way  through  a level  valley.  There  are  no  natives  close  here, 
but  soon  we  shall  have  as  many  as  we  like,  as  they  will  gather 
around  us.  I suppose  I shall  have  to  learn  two  languages  here, 
as  both  Manganja  and  Ajawa  are  spoken  within  the  range  of 
our  steamer;  but  I should  like  to  know  more  of  the  coast  and 
its  people  before  I say  which  is  the  most  important.” 

The  next  communication  was  from  Mr.  Young,  who,  writing 
under  date  of  “Livingstonia,  Lake  N’yassa,  February  i8th, 
1876,”  says:  '‘Since  our  arrival  here,  where  we  have  settled 
near  Cape  Maclear,  nothing  has  happened  to  mar  the  progress 
of  the  mission.  We  have  made  enemies  of  no  one,  and  friends 
of  all.  I am  thankful  to  say  that  we  succeeded  in  getting  safely 
housed  before  the  rains  began,  and  that  the  whole  of  the  party 
are  in  good  health.  Some  have  had  slight  attacks  of  fever,  but 
they  soon  got  over  it.  After  our  goods  were  stored  here,  and 
we  were  housed,  and  everything  was  in  perfect  safety,  I took 
four  of  our  party  in  December,  and  went  round  the  lake,  to  let 
the  people  know  of  our  arrival,  and  to  see  what  the  country  and 
the  natives  were  like.  We  found  that  our  arrival  was  known 
far  and  wide,  and  that  the  Arabs  were  so  terrified  that  no  slaves 
had  been  conveyed  across  for  a whole  month.  We  found  the 
lake  much  larger  than  Dr.  Livingstone  thought,  having  a coast- 
line of  not  less  than  800  miles,  with  many  delightful,  fertile,  and 
populous  districts,  etc.” 

In  the  course  of  the  year  Mr.  Young  was  relieved  of  his 
command  by  the  arrival  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stewart  of  the  Love- 


'.-IMiMb  Jill  .III  --.'I.Wll  •IIIX  ,\0  O.M.MUl 


li 


Easier jt  and  Central  Africa,  357 

dale  Free  Church  Institution,  Kaffraria.  The  Doctor,  who  had 
had  large  missionary  experience  in  South  Africa  for  many  years, 
had  taken  a deep  interest  in  Livingstonia  from  the  beginning, 
having  attended  the  meetings  that  were  held  in  Scotland,  and 
aided  the  enterprise  with  his  counsel  from  time  to  time.  On 
the  20th  October,  1876,  l\e  wrote  from  Lake  N’yassa  as 
follows:  “You  will  be  glad  to  see  from  this  that  we  have 
safely  reached  the  end  of  our  long  journey.  We  arrived  here 
on  Saturday  last  in  the  small  steamer  Ilala,  which  brought  us 
up  from  the  Cataracts.  All  our  party,  with  two  exceptions,  are 
very  well,  and  the  two  are  recovering  rapidly  from  slight  attacks 
of  fever.  Livingstonia  at  present  consists  of  a line  of  wattle 
and  daub  houses,  with  strong  inside  posts,  some  twelve  or 
thirteen  in  number  (exclusive  of  outhouses,  workshops,  and 
other  such  erections),  forming  one  side  of  a square  220  paces  , 
long.  The  beauty  of  the  position  is  beyond  all  question. 
Before  us  we  have  all  day  a blue,  sparkling  sea,  with  a water 
horizon  to  the  north,  and  lofty,  hills  on  the  mainland,  in  the 
west,  at  a distance  of  about  twenty  miles.  The  vast  superiority 
of  the  climate  here  as  compared  with  that  of  the  river  valleys 
below,  is  most  striking.  Missionary  operations  are  as  yet  on 
a small  scale,  but  they  are  begun,,  and.  both  preaching  and 
school  teaching  are  in  operation,”  etc. 

Dr.  Stewart  was  accompanied  by  Messrs.  Cotterill  and 
Thelwall,  and  two  or  three  native  teachers  from  Lovedale  to 
reinforce  the  mission,  all  of  whom  entered  heartily  into  the  work. 
In  1877  Mr.  Young  returned  to  England,  bringing  very  favourable 
accounts  of  the  state  and  prospects  of  Livingstonia  \ and  sub- 
sequent intelligence  to  hand  has  been  equally  encouraging. 
Let  the  friends  of  missions  everywhere  aid  this  noble  enter- 
prise with  their  prayers,  sympathy,  and  support  3 and,  with  God’s 
blessing,  it  is  sure  to  prosper. 

London  Society’s  Mission  at  Lake  Tanganyika. 

Almost  simultaneously  with  the  praiseworthy  efforts  made 
by  the  Presbyterians  in  Scotland  to  found  the  Livingstonia 


/ 


358  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

Mission  at  Lake  N’yassa,  the  London  Missionary  Society  was 
making  arrangements  to  establish  a similar  mission  at  Lake 
Tanganyika,  another  great  inland  sea,  discovered  and  partly 
explored  by  Dr.  Livingstone  and  other  eminent  travellers. 
This  noble  project  had  its  origin  in  the  generous  offer  of  Mr. 
Robert  Arthington,  of  Leeds,  to  contribute  ^5000  towards 
the  expenses  which  it  would  involve.  Ujiji,  a large  native 
town  and  Arab  settlement,  formerly  a noted  centre  of  the  slave 
trade,  where  Dr.  Livingstone  remained  for  a long  time  when 
he  was  bereft  of  the  means  of  proceeding  on  his  journey,  is 
situated  about  540  geographical  miles  west  of  Zanzibar,  but  the 
travelling  distance  is  nearly  700  miles.  The  main  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  establishing  a mission  at  this  place  consisted  of 
its  distance  from  the  coast,  the  absence  of  roads  or  navigable 
rivers  to  facilitate  travelling  and  transport  of  stores,  and  the 
general  ruggedness  of  the  country  that  intervened,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  dangers  incident  to  passing  through  extensive 
regions  inhabited  by  various  warlike  and  savage  native  tribes. 
But  as  these  difficulties  had  been  overcome  by  two  or  three 
enterprising  travellers,  and  were  found  to  decrease  in  magni- 
tude with  every  journey  that  was  taken  into  the  interior,  the 
directors  of  the  Society  entertain  the  hope  that  they  may  all 
be  successfully  encountered. 

In  a statement  drawn  up,  respecting  the  proposed  mission,  by 
Dr.  Mullens,  the  esteemed  Foreign  Secretary,  we  find,  among 
other  important  particulars,  the  following  interesting  items  of 
information:  “Ujiji,  the  place  proposed  for  the  head-qu.arters 
of  the  new  mission,  is  situated  on  the  east  shore  of  the  Lake 
Tanganyika.  It  is  a large  town  in  the  district  of  Ukaranga 
(though  no  traveller  gives  the  number  of  houses),  is  the  centre 
of  a great  trade,  and  has  a daily  market.  Large  canoes  are 
made  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  thus  the  entire  shores  of 
this  vast  sheet  of  water  are  rendered  easily  accessible.  Lake 
Tanganyika  is  300  miles  in  length  by  twenty  in  width,  and 
its  extensive  shore-line  affords  opportunity  of  easy  access 
to  a multitude  of  people.  The  importance  of  one  or  more 


I 


359 


Eastern  and  Central  Af^'ica. 

strong  mission  stations  on  such  a noble  inland  sea  cannot  be 
over-rated.”  The  important  document  from  which  these  sen- 
tences in  reference  to  the  site  of  the  new  mission  are  extracted, 
gives  a clear  and  business  like  statement  of  the  whole  case,  and 
dwells  at  length  on  the  climate,  the  diseases  most  prevalent  in 
the  country,  the  precautions  which  are  necessary  to  be  observed, 
and  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  powerful  influence 
of  the  sultan  of  Zanzibar,  who  was  known  to  be  friendly  to  such 
undertakings  for  the  benefit  of  Central  Africa. 

When  the  question  had  been  carefully  considered  in  all  its 
bearings  by  the  directors  of  the  Society,  it  was  solemnly  re- 
solved in  the  name  and  strength  of  the  Lord  to  enter  upon  the 
great  and  important  work  to  which  they  believed  they  were 
called  by  the  unmistakable  leadings  of  Divine  Providence. 
The  necessary  outfit  and  stores  having  been  provided,  and, 
other  preparations  made  for  the  important  enterprise,  the  first 
company  of  missionaries  was  sent  forth  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year  1877,  followed  by  the  fervent  prayers  and  best  wishes  of 
thousands  of  the  friends  of  missions  in  this  and  other  countries. 
This  party  consisted  of  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Price,  Thompson, 
Clarke,  Dodgshun,  Hore,  and  Huntley.  The  three  brethren 
first  named  had  been  successfully  engaged  in  mission  work 
before,  and  had  therefore  the  benefit  of  previous  experience : 
the  rest  were  new  hands  ; but  Mr.  Hore  had  the  advantage  of 
having  studied  medicine,  which  was  regarded  as  a matter  of 
importance  to  the  whole  mission.  They  were  all  men  of  acknow- 
ledged piety,  energy,  courage,  and  apparent  good  health,  and 
were  considered  in  every  respect  well  adapted  for  the  arduous 
undertaking. 

Having  arrived  in  safety  at  Zanzibar,  Mr.  Thompson,  the 
leader  of  the  expedition,  and  the  rest  of  the  brethren  set 
themselves  to  work  to  make  the  necessary  preparations  for 
the  inland  journey,  by  engaging  experienced  native  attendants, 
putting  up  their  stores  and  luggage  in  convenient  packages, 
laying  in  a stock  of  provisions,  and  attending  to  other  prelimi- 
naries. The  following  sketch  of  the  tract  of  country  to  be 


360  Africa:  Past  and  Present. 

traversed  between  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa  and  Lake  Tan- 
ganyika, as  given  in  Dr.  Mullens’  statement  already  alluded  to, 
will  throw  some  light  upon  the  difhcuUies  to  be  encountered: 
“ The  dibtrict  between  Ujiji  and  the  coast  at  Bagamoyo  con- 
tains nine  degrees  of  longitude,  30°  to  39°;  and  the  journey 
across  it  is  divided  very  nearly  into  three  stages  of  three  degrees 
each.  The  first  stage  brings  the  traveller  to  Ugogo;  the  second 
to  Unyanyembe;  and  the  third  to  the  Tanganyika  shore.  The 
first  stage  offers  the  greatest  difficulties,  the  last  two  are  com- 
paratively easy.  The  first  stage  is  divided  into  two  nearly 
equal  sections.  In  the  earlier  the  traveller  crosses  the  level 
tropical  plain  between  the  sea  and  the  roots  of  the  hills ; a few 
streams,  patches  of  forest,  and  swamps,  are  his  only  trouble. 
At  the  little  fortress  of  Simbamwemmi  he  has  risen  1000  feet. 
Then  he  begins  to  cross  a line  of  ridges,  each  higher  than  the 
last,  until  he  reaches  the  upper  plateau,  which  remains  at  a 
height  of  3500  feet.  The  hilly  region  is  100  miles  w'ide; 
and  he  has  to  cross  three  valleys,  each  with  its  swamps  and 
river,  of  which  the  Makata  swamp  is  truly  formidable.  It 
is  impassable  in  the  rainy  season,  and  should  be  passed  early 
in  May  or  June.  Having  ascended  the  Mukondokwa  Pass, 
and  reached  the  upper  plateau,  the  travelling  becomes  more 
easy.  The  caravan  traverses  vast  rolling  plains,  with  quaint 
knolls  covered  with  wood ; with  here  and  there  forest,  and 
here  and  there  long  reaches  of  depopulated  country ; and  at 
the  end  of  200  miles  from  the  summit  it  will  reach  Unyan- 
yembe. With  ordinary  loads  a caravan  of  limited  size  may 
reach  this  station  from  the  coast  in  seventy-five  days.  The 
remainder  of  the  route  is  of  the  same  character.” 

In  the  course  of  his  remarks  on  kindred  subjects.  Dr. 
Mullens  says : “ The  means  of  transit  are  extremely  limited. 
As  the  entire  route  is  a mere  track,  wheel-carriages  have  never 
yet  been  employed  in  the  district.  As  the  tsetse-fly  is  found  in 
the  lower  jungles,  much  risk  is  run  in  the  employment  of  oxen, 
horses,  donkeys,  or  mules.  Mr.  Stanley,  however,  took  both 
horses  and  donkeys  with  him,  and,  though  he  lost  two  horses 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa,  361 

on  his  first  journey,  he  says  he  would  take  them  again.  Some 
of  his  donkeys  went  with  him  through  everything.  The  chief 
means  of  carriage  is  the  ordinary  pagdzi,  or  porters  of  the 
country.  These  men  are  hired  singly  or  in  gangs.  They  carry 
from  sixty  to  seventy  pounds  weight  each.  The  bearers  are 
formed  into  companies  under  a responsible  chief,  and  are 
accompanied  by  soldiers,  who  guard  the  property  both  by  day 
and  night.  An  interpreter  is  needed  with  the  English  traveller, 
who  can  speak  Arabic  to  the  Arab  traders,  and  Kisuahili 
to  the  people  generally.  Oh  for  a broad  road ! oh  for  the 
African  waggon  of  the  Cape  Colony,  with  its  huge  wheels,  its 
first-floor  bedroom,  its  4000  pounds  weight  of  goods,  and  its 
long  team  of  oxen  under  Hottentot  charge  ! Shall  we  venture 
to  try  it  ? ” 

The  question  whether  the  ox-waggon  should  be  tried  for  this 
novel  journey  was  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  arrange- 
ments were  made  accordingly.  With  what  success  the  sequel 
will  show.  Everything  being  ready  for  a start,  the  mission 
party  left  Zanzibar  for  the  interior  in  the  month  of  August; 
and  they  had  not  proceeded  far  inland  before  they  found  that 
waggon-travelling  here  was  very  different  to  that  of  the  Cape 
and  Kaffirland.  Even  under  the  experienced  guidance  of  Mr. 
Price,  the  progress  through  the  swamps,  and  thickly-matted 
brushwood,  and  patches  of  forest,  was  slow  and  dreary  in  the 
extreme,  both  hatchet  and  spade  being  in  frequent  requisition 
to  clear  the  way.  The  consequence  was  they  were  unable  to 
complete  the  journey  in  a single  season ; and  at  the  end  ot 
the  first  year  they  settled  down  for  a temporary  rest  among  the 
hills  of  Usagara,  160  miles  from  the  sea-coast.  Their  resting- 
place  was  Kirasa,  a village  on  the  south  side  of  the  river 
Wami ; and  here  they  built  a little  settlement  of  five  houses, 
stored  the  greater  part  of  their  baggage  and  goods,  and  enjoyed 
a pleasant  and  refreshing  rest  in  the  pure  fresh  air. 

In  planning  their  further  advance  at  the  commencement  ot 
1878,  they  found  that,  owing  to  the  undoubted  presence  of  the 
fatal  tsetse-fly  in  the  districts  they  would  have  to  traverse,  it 


362 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  take  the  waggons  onward,  and 
arrangements  were  made  for  the  conveyance  of  themselves  and 
their  stores  by  the  usual  bands  of  native  porters,  already 
described.  Messrs.  Price  and  Clarke  having  returned  with 
the  waggons  to  the  coast,  Messrs.  Thompson,  Hore,  and 
Huntley,  with  240  bearers,  prepared  to  proceed  farther  in- 
land towards  Tanganyika,  whilst  Mr.  Dodgshun  returned  to 
Zanzibar  with  a native  trader  named  Broyon,  who  had  engaged 
to  transport  the  remainder  of  the  goods — some  13,000  lbs. — 
from  the  coast  to  UjijL  On  the  29th  of  May,  the  party  for 
the  interior  broke  up  their  encampment  at  Kirasa,  and  pro- 
ceeded westward  as  far  as  Mpwapwa,  a place  where  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  had  already  planted  a station.  At 
the  outset  of  their  new  journey  they  were  short-handed,  and 
found  great  trouble  in  adjusting  the  loads  of  goods  they  were 
taking  with  them.  The  arrival  of  additional  bearers  from 
Zanzibar  solved  their  difficulties  for  the  present ; and  on  Wed- 
nesday, June  1 2th,  they  started  from  Mpwapwa  with  240  men. 

Writing  to  the  directors  of  the  Society  at  home  in  reference 
to  the  commencement  of  the  new  journey,  Mr.  Hore  says : 
“ We  have  now  actually  entered  upon  Central  Africa.  We 
have  made  our  arrangements  as  follows  i Mr.  Thompson  is  to 
manage  all  the  hongo  payments,  or  any  other  business  with  the 
chiefs,  and  the  never  ending  medical  duties.  To  myself  has 
been  apportioned  the  charge  of  the  caravan  generally,  the  care 
of  the  men  both  as  to  their  food  and  work,  and  all  the  arrange- 
ment of  transport.  Mr.  Huntley  has  charge  of  our  own  com- 
missariat, and  assists  in  anything  which  would  otherwise  require 
my  presence  in  two  places  at  once.  I feel  very  glad  that  Mr. 
Dodgshun  will  be  with  the  large  part  of  our  stores  left  with 
Broyon.  The  present  start  looks  more  like  getting  to  the  lake 
than  any  we  have  yet  had.” 

By  the  rupture  of  a blood-vessel  soon  after  leaving  Kirasa, 
Mr.  Thompson  was  greatly  prostrated ; but  through  the  kind 
attention  of  Dr.  Ba.xter,  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  he 
gradually  recovered  his  strength.  Travelling,  however,  soon 


363 


Eader7i  and  Central  Aft'ica. 

fatigued  him,  and  it  was  cbnsequently  necessary  for  a time  that 
he  should  be  carried.  This  was,  in  fact,  “the  beginning  of 
the  end,”  although  no  one  thought  so  at  the  time.  Without 
encountering  much  difficulty,  the  party  arrived  early  in  July  at 
Mukondoku,  the  last  town  of  Ugogo,  and  a few  days  later  they 
reached  Koi  Kirondah.  On  this  place  Mr.  Hore  makes  the 
following  remarks  ; “This  is  the  best  built  town  I have  seen  in 
this  country.  All  the  houses  are  half  as  high  again  as  any  others 
we  have  met  with,  and  there  is  a great  deal  of  good  workmanship 
displayed  in  their  erection.  Comfortable  doors  and  verandahs, 
plastered  walls,  and  many  other  household  comforts,  are  to  be 
seen  on  every  hand.  There  are  also  other  signs  of  the  superiority 
of  these  native  Africans.  Here  we  squat  on  little  stools  or  clean 
mats,  and  talk  with  these  people,  who  are  on  the  whole  a very 
respectable  lot  of  men.” 

Leaving  Koi  Kirondah,  the  travellers  had  before  them  a week’s 
journey  through  a tract  of  country  entirely  without  inhabitants. 
Having,  however,  made  due  preparation,  this  was  speedily  and 
prosperously  accomplished,  and  on  the  20th  of  July  they  reached 
the  capital  of  Uyui,  where  they  met  with  kind  attention  from 
the  head  man  of  the  place.  Seven  days  later  they  arrived  at 
Urambo,  the  town  of  the  powerful  chief  Mirambo,  concerning 
whom  Mr.  Thompson  says  : “ Mirambo  received  us  most  kindl)’, 
and  treated  us  very  handsomely  whilst  we  remained  there.  He 
certainly  did  his  best  to  show  himself  friendly  to  us.  He  wished 
us  to  remain  a month  with  him,  but  when  I told  him  we  must 
push  on,  and  get  to  the  end  of  our  journey  so  as  to  get  our  houses 
built  before  the  rains,  he  was  willing  to  let  us  go,  but  expressed 
a hope  that  I would  come  back  soon  and  remain  with  him  a 
month.  The  chief  promised  us  men  to  go  with  us  to  show  us 
the  road.  He  said  his  men  could  go  to  Ujiji  in  five  days,  but 
it  will  take  our  caravan  much  longer.” 

Being  anxious  to  reach  their  destination,  the  mission  party 
left  Urambo  on  the  5th  of  August,  Mirambo  accompanying  them 
to  their  first  camping-place,  and  thence  they  made  rapid  progress 
towards  the  lake.  Before  daybreak  on  the  23rd  they  were  all 


364 


Afiica:  Past  and  Present. 


ready  to  proceed,  for  Ujiji  was  near  at  hand.  In  the  course  of 
the  day  they  entered  the  town  in  regular  marching  order,  with 
the  Union  Jack  and  other  flags  floating  in  the  breeze,  of  which 
Mr.  Hore  gives  a graphic  description,  but  our  limited  space 
prevents  our  quoting  it.  They  encamped  for  the  night  in  the 
gardens  of  Bwana  Musa,  and  all  felt  thankful  that  they  had 
reached  their  destination  in  safety  after  such  a long  and  weary 
journey. 

On  the  25th,  two  days  after  their  arrival,  Mr.  Thompson  wrote 
as  follows : “ Through  God’s  blessing  we  have  performed  one 
of  the  quickest  and  most  prosperous  journeys  which  have  ever 
been  made  to  Ujiji.  We  were  just  seventy-five  days  from 
Mpwapwa.  We  have  lost  none  of  our  goods,  and  we  have  had 
few  of  those  troubles  which  other  travellers  seem  to  have  had. 
I cannot  tell  you  how  pleased  we  are  to  get  here.  I came  on 
in  front  on  Friday  to  look  for  a good  camping-place,  and  we 
found  a most  healthy-looking  site  for  our  station  close  on 
Kigoma  Bay.  It  is  near  the  highest  hill  about  here,  but  there 
is  no  good  running  stream  near  it ; and  if  we  wish  to  make  a 
garden  to  grow  wheat,  we  shall  have  to  make  it  at  some  distance 
from  the  station.  We  intend  to  move  t©  this  place  to-morrow, 
and  pitch  our  camp  there,  until  we  try  further  to  get  a place  as 
healthy  with  a running  stream  close  to  it.  The  place  I speak 
of  is  about  three  miles  from  Ujiji,  and  can  be  seen  from  it.” 

It  is  melancholy  to  have  to  record  that  this  extract  is  taken 
from  the  last  letter  received  by  the  directors  from  Mr.  Thompson. 
On  the  13th  of  September,  about  a month  after  it  was  written, 
he  was  seized  by  what  appeared  to  be  an  apoplexy,  and  remained 
in  a state  of  coma  for  more  than  forty-eight  hours.  Watched 
over  and  nursed  with  much  care  and  tenderness  by  the  brethren 
with  him,  he  occasionally  showed  signs  of  returning  conscious- 
ness and  clearness  of  intellect.  The  hopes  that  were  thus  raised 
were  soon  to  be  disappointed,  however  ; for,  according  to  Mr. 
Hore’s  account  of  the  sad  event,  “ the  poor  sufferer  gradually 
relapsed,  and  quietly  went  home  to  Jesus  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
September  22nd.  So  has  our  Heavenly  Father  seen  fit  thus 


CAMl*  AT^KIGOMA,  ON  THE  BOKUEKS  OF  LAKE  TANGANYIKA.  {Page  363. 


i 

» 

t 

§ 

i 


365 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 

early  to  take  to  Himself  one  of  our  number,  and  one  that  had 
often  been  thought  to  be  one  of  the  strongest  among  us.  His 
will  be  done.  We  buried  his  mortal  remains  on  the  hill  at 
Kigoma,  about  three  miles  north-west  of  Ujiji — (on  Monday 
evening  the  23rd  of  September) — a spot  which  I had  previously 
visited  with  Mr.  Thompson,  and  the  situation  of  which  he  was 
pleased  with.  He  was  followed  to  the  grave  by  all  our  men, 
who  also  knelt  reverently  round  the  grave,  while  in  simple 
service  we  committed  the  body  to  the  ground,  ‘ in  sure  and 
certain  hope  of  a glorious  resurrection  to  eternal  life.’  ” 

The  leader  of  the  mission  being  thus  removed,  the  two 
remaining  brethren  at  Ujiji  were  left  in  painful  solitude  and 
anxiety  in  a strange  land ; Mr.  Dodgshun,  who  had  gone  to 
Zanzibar  to  bring  up  the  remaining  stores,  having  been  detained 
on  the  journey  much  longer  than  was  expected.  Indeed,  this 
brother  did  not  arrive  at  Ujiji  till  the  early  part  of  the  following 
year,  having  met  with  dangers,  difficulties,  and  detentions  such 
as  are  seldom  experienced  even  in  that  country.  For  many 
months  the  directors  of  the  Society  were  kept  in  a state  of  the 
most  anxious  suspense  from  receiving  no  intelligence  of  the 
movements  of  Mr.  Dodgshun,  and  but  very  vague  and  unsatis- 
factory accounts  from  Tanganyika. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  directors  were  led  to  consider 
how  they  could  best  reinforce  the  mission,  and  save  it  from 
collapsing  altogether.  They  found  some  relief  in  the  noble 
offer  of  two  students  to  give  themselves  to  the  work,  and  to 
go  out  and  join  the  Central  African  Mission  without  delay. 
They  were  still  at  a loss,  however,  for  an  experienced  missionary 
to  take  the  lead  in  the  enterprise ; those  already  on  the  spot, 
and  those  recently  appointed,  being  all  inexperienced  and  com- 
paratively young  men.  They  looked  round  in  every  direction, 
and  communicated  with ' some  that  seemed  most  likely  for 
such  service,  but  all  in  vain. 

AVhilst  thus  perplexed,  the  directors  received  an  offer  of 
service  from  a quarter  they  little  expected.  The  Rev.  Dr. 
Mullens,  the  esteemed  Foreign  Secretary  of  the  Society,  who 


366 


Africa:  Past  and  Present. 


had  served  the  cause  so  long  and  so  ably  in  India,  Madagascar, 
and  England,  generously  offered  in  the  emergency  to  go  out 
to  Zanzibar,  and  if  necessary  to  Tanganyika,  to  accompany  the 
young  missionaries  just  appointed,  to  regulate  and  superintend 
the  affairs  of  the  mission  till  it  should  become  thoroughly 
established,  and  to  render  any  service  in  his  power  to  a cause 
so  dear  to  his  heart.  At  first  the  directors  felt  very  unwilling 
to  accept  Dr.  Mullens’  noble  offer,  not  knowing  how  to  spare 
him  from  head-quarters,  and  being  apprehensive  as  to  the 
effect  that  such  an  undertaking  might  have  upon  his  health 
or  life.  But  the  Doctor  being  very  firm  and  persistent  in  his 
offer,  the  directors  at  length  reluctantly  acquiesced. 

Arrangements  were  forthwith  made  for  this  new  departure 
in  the  history  of  the  London  Society’s  Mission  to  Central 
Africa.  The  necessary  preparations  having  been  completed, 
on  Wednesday,  April  gth,  1879,  a valedictory  service  w'as  held 
at  the  Mission  House  in  London,  to  take  leave  of  Dr.  Mullens, 
and  the  Rev.  W.  Griffith,  and  Mr.  Southon,  a medical  mis- 
sionary. At  this  meeting,  which  was  very  well  attended,  the 
venerable  Dr.  Mcffat  gave  an  address  full  of  affection  and 
appropriate  counsel  to  the  young  brethren.  They  sailed  for 
Zanzibar  on  the  i8th  April,  and  Dr.  Mullens  embarked  at 
Southampton  on  the  24th,  with  the  object  of  joining  Messrs. 
Griffith  and  Southon  at  Aden,  to  proceed  with  them  on  to 
Zanzibar.  . This  important  reinforcement  of  the  Tanganyika 
Mission  w'ent  forth,  and  was  followed  by  the  prayers  of  thousands 
of  Christian  people  of  different  denominations,  for  all  felt  that 
the  most  momentous  questions  were  involved  in  it. 

The  directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  had  par- 
ticularly urged  that  Dr.  Mullens  should  not  go  farther  than 
Zanzibar,  unless  the  necessities  of  the  case  should  absolutely 
require  him  to  do  so,  as  the  cause  would  be  materially  served 
by  his  assisting  the  young  missionaries  in  their  preparations, 
and  seeing  them  fairly  on  their  journey  for  the  interior.  But 
for  some  reason  not  fully  explained,  the  Doctor  resolved  to 
go  right  through  to  Tanganyika,  and  he  set  out  for  Ujiji  with 


367 


Eastern  arid  Central  Afiica, 

his  young  brethren  accordingly.  It  is  indeed  melancholy  to 
have  to  add  that  he  did  not  live  to  reach  the  end  of  the 
journey,  his  Heavenly  Father,  in  His  infinite  wisdom,  seeing 
fit  to  call  him  to  His  eternal  rest  before  he  had  travelled  half 
the  distance.  The  sad  story  will  be  best  related,  as  far  as 
possible,  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Southon,  the  medical  missionary, 
who  was  with  him  to  the  last.  The  following  narrative  is 
condensed  from  Mr.  Southon’s  letter  to  the  directors,  dated 
Mpwapwa,  July  i6th,  1879,  as  published  in  the  Nonconformist  \ — 

“From  the  time  of  arriving  at  Zanzibar,  Dr.  Mullens  took  an  active  part 
in  everything  that  was  being  done  in  the  way  of  preparation  for  the  journey. 
After  we  were  once  started  from  Induni,  we  had  no  trouble  with  the  men, 
though  the  loads  of  some  of  them  were  above  the  standard  weight,  i.e., 
sixty-five  pounds.  Dr.  Mullens  found  a serious  obstacle  to  his  progress  in 
the  lone  rank  grass  which  grows  in  great  abundance  in  all  the  valleys  and 
low-lying  lands.  He  was  carried  in  an  iron  chair.  Eight  men  were 
appointed  as  his  personal  bearers.  The  chair  was  slung  between  two  bam- 
boo poles,  and  four  men  then  carried  it  on  their  shoulders.  As  the  men 
were  two  abreast,  they  had  to  walk  on  either  side  of  the  path  instead  of  on 
it,  as  all  the  paths  are  only  wide  enough  for  one  person  to  walk  in  at  a 
time.  Dr.  Mullens’  men  were  therefore  obliged  to  walk  in  the  thick  grass  ; 
hence  their  slow  progress.  At  Mkange  we  halted  a day  to  readjust  loads, 
and  to  alter  Dr.  Mullens’  chair.  I contrived  to  insert  a pole  between  the 
other  two,  that  the  men  might  carry  and  still  be  able  to  keep  the  centre  of 
the  path. 

“ Everything  now  worked  smoothly  and  harmoniously  ; the  men  did  their 
work  willingly  and  cheerfully,  and  although  the  poor  doctor  was  generally 
tired  out,  and  a little  late  in  getting  into  camp,  a cup  of  cocoa  or  tea  and  a 
little  rest  sufficed  to  restore  him  to  his  wonted  health  and  spirits.  He 
hardly  ever  complained  of  anything  except  the  long  grass.  Generally 
speaking.  Dr.  Mullens  did  not  find  the  hards'dps  of  camp  life  so  bad  as  he 
anticipated.  He  was  never  weary  of  watching  the  men  at  their  work,  and 
was  ever  expressing  his  thankfulness  that  we  had  such  a good  set  of  men. 
He  would  even  lend  a hand  to  help  them  to  place  the  loads  upon  their 
heads,  and  many  a time  a man' was  heard  saying,  ' Bavana  Kubwa,  ujoo' 
(Great  Master,  come  here),  when  his  friendly  aid  was  desired.  His  know- 
ledge of  Kisuahili  was  not  great,  but  he  made  himself  understood  fairly 
well,  and  when  he  made  blunders  which  the  men  laughed  at,  he  joined 
heartily  with  them. 

“ It  was  at  Kitange,  on  Saturday,  July  5th,  150  miles  from  Sandani,  that 
Dr.  Mullens  caught  a severe  cold,  after  having  ascended  a high  hill  for 


368 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 

the  purpose  of  taking  observations.  Being  much  exhausted  when  he  came 
down,  I was  hoping  that  he  would  propose  our  staying  there  over  the 
Sabbath,  instead  of  going  forward  on  that  day  as  we  had  intended  ; but 
the  arrival  of  Dr.  Baxter,  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  from 
Mpwapwa,  who  was  on  his  way  to  the  coast,  and  a good  breakfast,  led 
him  to  attempt  the  journey  to  Rubeho,  six  miles.  Dr.  Baxter  also  went 
with  us  to  spend  the  Sunday.  On  arriving  there,  Dr.  Mullens  was  much 
exhausted,  and  ate  but  little  dinner,  though  he  continued  to  converse  as 
usual.  I feared  malarious  fever  ; and  as  Dr.  Baxter  was  invited  by 
Dr.  Mullens  to  share  his  tent,  I asked  him  kindly  to  watch  over  him,  and 
if  he  noticed  any  untoward  appearance  to  report  it  to  me.  All  Sunday  he 
remained  in  bed  ; and  though  he  had  fever  he  ‘ doctored  ’ himself,  and  said 
he  should  be  all  right  on  the  morrow.  Next  morning,  at  5 a.m.,  he  was 
decidedly  worse,  but  later  he  was  better,  and  got  up.  Towards  evening  an 
obstinate  fit  of  vomiting  set  in,  after  which  he  called  Dr.  Baxter  and  myself, 
and  ])laced  his  case  in  our  hands.  We  did  our  best  for  him,  but  decided 
that  it  would  be  better  to  move  the  camp  next  day,  as  it  was  cold  at 
Rubeho. 

On  the  following  morning,  Tuesday,  the  8th,  he  was  better,  and  able  to 
walk  a little  ; he  was,  however,  carried  all  the  way  to  Chacombe,  eight 
miles  further  on  our  journey.  He  arrived  very  much  exhausted,  but  rallied 
after  a cup  of  arrowroot  had  been  given  him.  He,  however,  incautiously 
drank  largely  of  very  cold  water,  which  brought  on  the  vomiting  again. 
Various  remedies  were  tiied,  and  at  last  he  obtained  relief  and  got  some 
sleep.  During  the  night  he  sent  for  me,  asking  me  to  advise  him  respecting 
a troublesome  bowel  complaint,  from  which  he  had  suffered  for  many  years. 
After  a time  his  trouble  was  met,  and  he  dozed  off  to  sleep.  Next  day, 
Wednesday,  the  9th,  he  was  decidedly  worse,  and  suffered  a great  deal  of 
pain.  Dr.  Baxter  and  I never  left  him  for  any  appreciable  time  after  this. 
Inflammation  of  the  bowels  had  set  in,  and  he  sank  into  a state  of  delirium, 
and  died  quite  from  exhaustion  at  5.20  a.m.,  on  Thursday,  July  loth,  1879. 
When  we  realized  that  no  human  aid  could  save  him,  we  sank  upon  our 
knees  by  the  bedside,  and  with  streaming  eyes  commended  him  to  the  care 
of  the  all-wise  Father  who  was  about  to  receive  him  ; and  even  as  we 
prayed  he  departed  for  the  ‘better  country.’  After  more  prayer  for  Divine 
guidance,  we  carefully  wrapped  the  body  in  sheeting,  and  then  in  blankets, 
and  lifted  it  into  a hammock.  After  packing  up  everything  we  started  for 
Mpwapwa,  twenty-nine  miles  distant.  This  place  we  reached  on  the 
following  morning,  having  made  two  very  quick  marches. 

“ With  true  brotherly  sympathy  and  regard.  Dr.  Baxter  and  Mr.  Last  made 
all  arrangements  for  the  burial ; but  there  being  no  boards  about  the  place 
suitable  for  a coffin,  we  were  in  straits  as  to  what  to  do.  At  last  Dr.  Baxter 
suggested  that  we  should  take  the  sides  of  one  of  the  London  M issionary 


369 


% 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 

Society’s  carts  which  were  left  here  by  Mr.  Thompson.  This  was  quickly 
done,  and  a very  good  coffin  made  from  them  by  Mr.  Last  himself.  This, 
covered  with  white  calico  and  lined  with  the  same  material,  received  the 
corpse,  and  then  it  lay  all  night  in  the  tent  awaiting  burial  on  the  morrow. 
A pleasant  spot  on  the  side  of  a hill  overlooking  the  plain  beneath  had  been 
selected  for  a burying- place.  Here  a grave  was  dug  in  the  hard  ground, 
and,  with  a kind  forethought  which  did  him  great  credit,  Mr.  Last  had  cut 
a path  to  the  place  from  the  main  road.  On  the  morning  of  Saturday,  the 
1 2th  July,  a very  mournful  procession  started  from  Mr.  Last’s  house  for 
the  burial-ground  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society’s  mission  at  Mpwapwa. 
Slowly  and  silently  the  procession  wended  its  way  down  into  deep  gorges 
and  up  the  sides  of  rugged  ravines  and  then  along  a level  road.  Not  a 
sound  was  heard  save  an  occasional  whisper,  and  the  steady  tramp,  tramp  of 
the  men  who  carried  the  precious  burden.  Just  before  arriving  at  the  grave 
the  solemn  words  of  Holy  Scripture  sounded  in  the  stillness,  ‘ The  days  of 
our  years  are  threescore  years  and  ten,’  etc.  After  placing  the  coffin  near 
the  grave,  and  anon  lowering  it  into  it,  Mr.  Griffith  offered  prayer,  and 
then  read  the  ordinary  service.  I then  closed  the  service  with  a short 
prayer.  Another  look  at  the  coffin,  and  the  remains  of  the  dear  departed 
one  are  left  in  peace.  When  we  turned  from  the  grave  we  fully  realized 
our  loss ; but  the  Almighty’s  arms  are  around  us,  and  we  are  comforted. 
We  intend  to  raise  a stone  structure  over  the  grave  to  mark  the  place  where 
we  have  deposited  the  body  of  Dr.  Joseph  Mullens,  to  await  the  glorious 
rising  on  the  resurrection  morn.” 

At  the  close  of  the  funeral  solemnities  the  survivors  of 
the  expedition,  Messrs.  Southon  and  Griffith,  with  their  native 
attendants,  pursued  their  sorrowful  journey  towards  the  newly- 
formed  mission  station  at  Lake  Tanganyika,  and  the  friends  of 
the  enterprise  sincerely  hope  and  pray  that,  notwithstanding 
the  bereavements  which  it  has  experienced,  it  will  yet  prove 
successful.  Those  who  are  still  spared  to  prosecute  the  im- 
portant work  are  men  of  undoubted  piety  and  courage ; but 
what  is  now  most  required  is  some  one  of  matured  judgment 
and  experience  in  mission  work  to  take  the  lead  and  manage- 
ment of  affairs,  both  temporal  and  spiritual.  In  these  days  of 
general  enlightenment,  and  professed  missionary  zeal,  an  enter- 
prise like  this  will  surely  not  lack  suitable  men  or  means  to 
push  it  forward  ; and,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  it  can  scarcely 
fail  of  success. 


24 


370 


Africa:  Past  and  Present, 


Church  Mission  at  Lake  N’vanza. 

The  partial  opening  up  of  Central  Africa  by  the  explorations 
of  Livingstone,  Grant,  Burton,  Speke,  Baker,  Stanley,  Cameron, 
and  others,  prepared  the  way,  not  only  for  the  establishment  of 
missions  at  Lake  N’yassa  by  the  Scottish  Societies,  and  at  Lake 
Tanganyika  by  the  London  Society,  as  already  mentioned,  but 
also  for  the  planting  of  a similar  station  at  Lake  N'yanza  by 
the  Church  Society,  of  which  we  now  proceed  to  give  a brief 
account. 

In  the  course  of  their  travels,  Mr.  Stanley  and  some  of 
the  other  adventurers  mentioned  above,  came  in  contact  with 
Mtesa,  king  of  Uganda,  and  Rumanik,  king  of  Karagu^,  two 
powerful  native  potentates,  whose  extensive  dominions  were 
situated  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lake  Victoria  N’yanza.  Both 
of  these  sable  rulers  were  represented  as  being  friendly  to  the 
English,  and  willing  to  encourage  the  introduction  of  commerce 
and  Christianity  into  their  respective  countries.  That  part  of 
the  interior  being  situated  far  away  to  the  north,  and  sufficiently 
distant  from  the  places  occupied  by  other  religious  commu- 
nities, soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  and  in  the  spring  of  1876  Mr.  Hutchinson  published  a 
book  entitled  “ The  Victoria  N’yanza,  a Field  of  Missionary 
Enterprise.”  In  this  interesting  little  volume  the  author  collects 
and  collates  the  testimonies  of  the  respective  travellers  who 
had  passed  through  that  part  of  the  continent ; and,  although 
the  impressions  conveyed  with  respect  to  the  far-famed  monarchs 
mentioned  above  are  less  favourable  than  those  given  by 
Mr.  Stanley,  much  valuable  information  is  communicated ; and, 
everything  considered,  the  region  of  N’yanza  was  regarded  as 
the  most  eligible  place  for  the  commencement  of  operations. 

The  most  suitable  agents  available  for  the  enterprise  having 
been  engaged,  and  the  necessary  preparations  made,  the 
mission  party,  consisting  of  four  Europeans  and  a number  of 
African  porters  and  artizans,  left  Mpwapwa  for  N’yanza  in 
the  month  of  October  1876.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 


371 


place  first  named  is  a station  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
situated  about  230  miles  inland  from  the  coast,  opposite 
Zanzibar.  After  a weary  and  adventurous  journey  they  arrived 
at  Kagei,  on  the  southern  shore  of  Victoria  N’yanza,  about  the 
beginning  of  April  1877.  They  first  directed  their  attention 
to  the  pitching  of  their  tents,  and  the  erection  of  temporary 
buildings  for  their  immediate  accommodation ; and  then  they 
set  to  work  to  put  together  the  mission  boat,  which  they  called 
the  Daisy,  the  sections  of  which  they  had  taken  from  the 
coast.  In  these  engagements  they  succeeded  fairly  well,  not- 
withstanding some  damage  which  the  materials  for  fitting  out 
the  boat  had  sustained  in  the  transit.  On  the  15th  of  June 
the  boat  was  finished,  and  made  use  of  to  remove  the  mission 
party  to  Ukerewe,  a large  island  on  the  lake,  not  far  distant,  the 
king  of  which  had  sought  their  acquaintance,  and  had  favourably 
impressed  them  with  his  comparative  intelligence  and  friendly 
demeanour.  Meanwhile  the  mission  had  suffered  a serious 
loss  in  the  removal  by  death  of  Dr.  John  Smith,  a medical 
missionary  of  great  promise,  who  was  somewhat  suddenly  cut 
down  and  called  to  rest  from  his  labours  at  this  early  stage  in 
his  career. 

Two  or  three  days  after  the  mission  party  had  settled  at 
Ukerewe,  two  letters  were  received  from  King  Mtesa,  written 
in  English  by  a negro  boy,  whom  Mr.  Stanley  had  left  with 
him,  urging  the  missionaries  to  come  to  him  with  all  possible 
speed.  Lieutenant  Smith  and  Mr.  Wilson  at  once  set  sail,  and 
reached  Rubaga,  the  capital  of  Uganda,  on  Saturday  evening, 
the  30th  of  June.  Resting  on  the  Lord’s  Day,  with  Mtesa’s 
full  consent,  they  had  their  public  reception  on  the  following 
Monday.  Mtesa  proved  himself  to  be  a monarch  of  much 
intelligence,  and  capable  of  graceful  courtesy.  When  the  name 
of  Jesus  was  read  to  him  in  the  letter  from  the  Society,  a 
salute  was  fired  in  testimony  of  joy,  the  whole  assembly 
repeatedly  bowing  their  heads.  He  also  called  Lieutenant 
Smith’s  attention  to  his  flag,  a many-coloured  ensign,  which  he 
said  he  had  hoisted  in  token  of  his  believing  in  Christ.  At  a 


372  Africa  : Pad  and  Present. 

subsequent  interview,  when  no  Arabs  and  Mohammedans 
were  present,  he  asked  whether  the  missionaries  had  brought 
him  the  Book,  meaning  the  Bible.  On  the  30th  of  July 
Lieutenant  Smith  returned  to  Ukerewe,  leaving  Mr.  Wilson  in 
Uganda.  Up  to  that  time  Mtesa  was  most  friendly,  shelving 
an  apparently  earnest  desire  to  know  more  of  Christianity,  and 
being  also  anxious  to  learn  English. 

The  fact  must  not  be  withheld,  however,  that  a subsequent 
letter  from  Mr.  Wilson  describes  the  sable  monarch  as  being 
somewhat  disappointed  at  not  receiving  more  secular  advantages 
from  the  Mission  ; but  the  relations  between  the  two  were  still 
amiable,  and  hopes  were  entertained  of  ultimate  success.  In 
a private  letter  to  a friend,  dated  November  29th,  1877,  Mr. 
Wilson  wrote  as  follows : “ In  the  mission  work  there  are  both 
discouragements  and  encouragements,  as  one  might  expect. 
The  services  at  the  palace  on  Sunday  mornings  have  been 
regularly  held,  and  are  fairly  well  attended ; and  it  is  a great 
thing  in  so  young  a mission,  and  before  one  knows  the  language, 
to  be  able  to  give  some,  at  any  rate,  the  opportunity  of 
hearing  regularly  the  Word  of  God,  and  of  receiving  some 
instruction  in  the  truths  of  our  holy  religion.  The  people  are, 
as  a rule,  very  attentive,  and  seem  to  take  an  interest  in  what 
is  read  and  spoken  to  them,  especially  on  our  Lord’s  parables. 
I make  the  services  more  like  classes  in  a Sunday-school  than 
a regular  service,  as  I find  it  keeps  their  attention  better,  and 
gives  them  more  opportunities  for  asking  questions,  and  so 
letting  me  see  how  far  they  understand  or  not.  I begin  by 
reading  a chapter  from  the  Old  Testament.  I read  four  or  five 
verses  at  a time,  and  explain  and  comment  on  them,  answering 
any  questions  that  may  be  asked ; then  a chapter  from  the  New 
Testament  is  read  in  the  same  manner;  a short  address  follows, 
and  I conclude  with  a few  prayers  from  the  Prayer-Book,  the 
people  all  kneeling  and  joining  in  the  Amens.  The  questions 
that  are  asked  are  often  decidedly  intelligent,  and  I must  say 
I have  often  had  to  teach  far  more  inattentive  and  unappre- 
ciative classes  in  England.” 


373 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 

Speaking  of  the  people  generally,  Mr.  Wilson  says : “ The 
Waganda  are  a promising  people  in  an  educational  point  of 
view,  if  one  can  get  them  to  come  for  instruction,  which  I do 
not  think  will  be  very  difficult. ' They  are  a sharp,  quick-witted 
race,  much  more  so  than  any  negroes  I have  yet  come  across. 
They  are  very  skilful  in  working  in  metals,  iron,  copper,  and 
brass ; and  I have  never  seen  anything  to  equal  their  basket- 
making. They  are  also  very  clever  in  imitating  things  of 
European  manufacture,  as  far  as  their  imperfect  tools  permit, 
and  in  this  respect  they  certainly  deserve  to  be  regarded  as  the 
Chinese  of  Africa.” 

In  the  month  of  October  following,  Lieut.  Smith,  acting  on 
the  instructions  of  the  Missionary  Committee  in  London,  pro- 
ceeded to  make  a regular  survey  of  the  rivers  and  creeks  at  the 
southern  end  of  the  lake,  of  which  he  sent  home  a journal  of 
much  value  and  interest.  This  accomplished,  he  proceeded 
to  Ukerewe,  the  head-quarters  of  the  mission. 

The  sad  events  which  followed  are  appalling  to  contemplate 
or  to  record.  From  the  most  reliable  information  that  we  have 
been  able  to  glean,  it  would  seem  that  a quarrel  had  arisen 
between  Lukongeh,  the  chief  of  the  island,  and  Songoro,  a 
resident  Arab  merchant.  When  Lieut.  Smith  returned  to 
Ukerewe,  the  dispute  had  grown  warm,  and  Songoro  begged 
that  his  wives  and  children  might  be  sent  away  in  the  Daisy. 
This  was  done,  leaving  Smith  and  O’Neill  on  the  island  with 
only  six  men  belonging  to  the  mission.  Almost  immediately 
afterwards,  in  the  first  week  in  December,  Songoro  and  his  men 
being  attacked  by  Lukongeh  with  a large  force,  the  former  fled 
to  the  mission  station  for  protection.  Lieut.  Smith  refusing  to 
give  up  the  refugee,  the  little  mission  party  were  immediately 
attacked  by  I.ukongeh,  and  were  all  killed,  with  the  exception 
of  a native  carpenter,  who  was  taken  prisoner,  and  after  eight 
days  released. 

On  the  returq  of  the  Daisy  to  Ukerewe,  the  native  carpenter, 
who  was  in  charge  of  her  at  the  time,  finding  what  had  happened, 
took  off  two  men  of  Songoro’s  party  who  had  escaped,  and 


374 


Africa  : Past  and  Present. 


who  swam  out  to  him,  and  they  returned  at  once  to  Kagei. 
After  making  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  recover  the  bodies  of 
the  murdered  missionaries,  he  sailed  for  Uganda,  and  took  the 
sad  news  to  Mr.  Wilson  and  Mtesa.  At  Mtesa’s  request,  Mr. 
Wilson  accompanied  some  Uganda  men  in  the  Daisy  to  KageL 
After  seeing  to  the  safety  of  the  mission  stores,  he  proceeded 
towards  Unyanyembe  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  cloth,  which 
in  Central  Africa  is  equivalent  to  money.  Being  thus  bereaved 
of  his  colleagues,  Mr.  Wilson  intended  to  remain  at  this  place 
till  the  arrival  of  the  reinforcement  from  the  east  coast,  which 
it  was  understood  had  been  sent  out  some  time  before. 

On  New  Year’s  Day,  1879,  intelligence  was  received  in 
England  that  Mr.  Mackay,  a gentleman  sent  out  with  the 
original  party,  but  who  had  been  detained  on  the  coast  by  the 
failure  of  his  health,  had  reached  his  destination  in  safety,  and 
had  joined  Mr.  Wilson  at  Kagei,  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
lake,  in  the  beginning  of  August,  when  they  made  arrangements 
for  proceeding  to  Uganda  in  the  Daisy,  with  as  little  delay  as 
possible.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Mackay  paid  a visit  to  the 
chief  Lukongeh,  by  whose  men  Smith  and  O’Neill  were  mur- 
dered at  Ukerewe.  Lukongeh  assured  Mr.  Mackay  that  he 
never  intended  >to  kill  the  white  men,  and  that  when  he  heard 
they  were  dead  (the  attack  by  his  men  on  the  Arab  trader 
having  taken  place  some  miles  from  his  palace)  he  was  very 
sorry,  and  said  “ his  country  was  now  ruined  for  ever.”  The 
chief  further  expressed  a desire  that  white  men  should  still 
come  and  teach  his  people ; but  when  Mr.  Mackay  asked  him, 
as  a proof  of  his  sincerity  and  good-will,  to  hand  over  Lieut. 
Smith’s  pocket-book,  and  the  guns  and  revolvers  belonging  to 
both  him  and  O’Neill,  which  were  known  to  be  in  his  possession, 
he  refused  to  do  so.  Mr.  Mackay  consequently  left  Ukerewe, 
assuring  Lukongeh  that  the  delivery  of  these  things  was  the 
indispensable  condition  of  future  visits  to  the  islands  by  the 
missionaries. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  at  the  scene  of  his  future  labours,  Mr. 
Mackay  wrote  a long  and  interesting  account  of  his  proceedings, 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa. 


375 


a few  sentences  from  which  will  show  the  spirit  of  the  man,  and 
the  manner  in  which  he  prosecuted  his  varied  duties : “ The 
people  of  Kagei  are  a large  and  important  tribe.  I like  them 
very  much.  They  are  all  friendly  with  me,  and  I am  a friend 
to  all  When  they  see  the  turning-lathe  at  work,  or  find  me 
melting  the  fat  of  an  ox  and  turning  out  beautiful  candles, 
their  wonder  knows  no  bounds.  Then  I teach  this  and  that 
more  intelligent  fellow  the  use  of  various  things,  and  try  to 
impress  upon  all  a truth  I find  them  very  slow  to  believe — ■ 
that  they  themselves  can  easily  learn  to  know  everything  that 
white  men  know.  I tell  them  that  we  were  once  naked  savages 
like  themselves,  and  carried  bows,  arrows,  and  spears ; but 
when  God  began  to  teach  us  we  became  civilized.  Round 
comes  Sunday,  when  tools  are  dropped,  and  the  reason  asked, 

‘ Why  ? ’ I open  my  Bible  and  tell  them  it  is  God’s  book,  and 
that  He  commanded  the  day  of  rest.  Many  know  a little  of 
Suahili,  which  is,  in  fact,  closely  allied  to  their  own  language ; 
and  in  that  tongue  I find  many  an  opportunity  to  teach  them 
the  simplest  truths  of  revealed  religion,  especially  how  God 
has  come  down  among  men.  This  great  mystery  of  godliness 
is  the  astounding  story  to  them;  and  many  I find  eager  to 
learn  to  read,  that  they  may  know  the  book  which  I say  God 
wrote  for  men.” 

When,  in  the  month  of  March  1879,  the  mournful  intelligence 
reached  England  of  the  violent  death  of  Lieut.  Smith  and  Mr. 
O’Neill,  leaving  the  Rev.  C.  T.  Wilson  alone  in  Central  Africa, 
the  Committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  immediately 
made  arrangements  to  send  out  two  parties  to  reinforce  the 
mission,  which  had  been  so  sorely  bereaved.  The  first  consisted 
of  the  Rev.  G.  Hall,  Mr.  C.  W.  Pearson,  Mr.  R.  W.  Felkin, 
surgeon,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Hall;  and  the  second  consisted  of 
Messrs.  Stokes  and  Copplestone.  The  first-named  party  were 
to  proceed  to  their  destination  by  way  of  Egypt  and  the  Nile; 
and  they  left  England  on  the  8th  February,  and  reached 
Suakim,  a port  about  half-way  down  the  Red  Sea,  on  the  coast 
of  Nubia,  on  the  9th  June.  While  there,  an  attack  of  heat- 


376  _ Africa:  Past  and  Present, 

apoplexy  compelled  Mr.  Hall  to  return  home;  but  the  other 
three  brethren  started  on  June  25th  on  camels,  to  cross  the 
desert,  and  strike  the  Nile  at  Berber,  with  the  view  of  ascending 
the  upper  portion  of  the  great  river  to  Uganda.  The  second 
party  proceeded  to  their  appointed  sphere  of  labour  in  Central 
Africa  by  way  of  Zanzibar  and  the  eastern  coast,  along  the 
usual  route.  It  is  a lamentable  fact  that  Mr.  Penrose,  a zealous 
industrial  agent  of  the  mission,  who  was  following  them  at  the 
head  of  a smaller  caravan,  fell  in  with  a band  of  robbers,  by 
whom  he  was  murdered. 

On  the  19th  August,  1879,  after  long  suspense,  the  secretaries 
of  the  Society  received  copious  communications  from  the 
brethren  of  the  mission  at  Victoria  N’yanza,  conveying  among 
other  things  the  pleasing  intelligence  that  both  parties  sent  out 
to  reinforce  the  mission  had  safely  reached  their  destination, 
after  a long  and  weary  journey  in  each  case.  The  brethren  at 
the  lake  had  received  letters  and  papers  from  England  through 
Dr.  Emin  Effendi,  one  of  Colonel  Gordon’s  officers,  and  were 
greatly  cheered.  There  was  also  intelligence  of  the  wreck  of 
the  mission  boat,  Daisy,  on  the  lake,  with  Messrs.  Wilson  and 
Mackay  on  board ; but  happily  no  lives  were  lost.  The  little 
vessel  was  afterwards  beached  and  repaired,  and  continued  to 
do  good  service  for  the  mission.  In  the  meantime  King  Mtesa 
had  sent  canoes  to  convey  Messrs.  Stokes  and  Copplestone  to 
Uganda,  and  pleasing  hopes  were  entertained  of  the  ultimate 
success  of  the  mission.  In  concluding  their  most  recent 
announcement  the  Missionary  Committee  say:  “If  it  has 
pleased  God  to  spare  all  their  lives,  there  are  now  seven 
missionaries  at  Uganda,  the  exact  number  first  sent  forth ; but 
only  two  are  of  the  original  party.  Let  our  prayer  be,  ‘O 
Lord,  be  gracious  unto  us;  we  have  waited  for  Thee;  be  Thou 
their  arm  every  morning,  our  salvation  also  in  the  time  of 
trouble’  (Isa.  xxxiii.  2).”  Every  true  friend  of  Missions  will 
devoutly  pray  that  the  blessing  of  God  may  rest  upon  this  noble 
enterprise. 


Eastern  and  Central  Africa.  377 

Conclusion. 

Whilst  the  preceding  pages  were  passing  through  the  press, 
intelligence  was  received  from  Central  Africa  of  a painfully 
interesting  character.  The  following  extract  from  the  Academy 
will  place  the  matter  in  the  clearest  light : — “ We  regret  to  hear 
that  the  Church  Missionary  Society  have  received  discouraging 
news  of  the  condition  of  affairs  at  their  N’yanza  mission. 
Hostile  influences  are  believed  to  have  been  at  work,  and  the 
attitude  of  King  Mtesa  has  been  for  some  time  not  over  friendly. 
In  May  last  a rumour  reached  the  king  that  the  Egyptians 
were  advancing  their  posts  further  towards  his  country,  and  he 
appears  to  have  accused  the  missionaries  of  complicity  in  the 
matter.  While  utterly  denying  the  charge,  they  offered  to  send 
two  of  their  number  with  his  messengers  to  Colonel  Gordon  ; 
and  accordingly  Mr.  Felkin  started  for  Egypt,  in  advance,  on 
May  17th,  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  party  who  were  to  follow 
in  company  with  the  Rev.  C.  T.  Wilson.  Mr.  Felkin  has 
written  home  from  Fatiko,  in  Egyptian  territory,  forwarding  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Wilson,  dated  June  26th,  from  which  it  appears 
that  he  and  four  chiefs  were  on  their  way  north,  but  still  in 
Uganda.  Messrs.  Stokes  and  Copplestone  had  been  permitted 
by  Mtesa  to  go  to  the  south  side  of  the  lake,  on  condition  that 
they  sent  up  the  mission  stores  left  there.  The  position  of  the 
three  missionaries  left  at  Mtesa’s  court  is  certainly  not  an 
enviable  one,  and  the  whole  affair  shows  the  danger  of  placing 
implicit  confidence  in  the  professions  of  a savage  chief  The 
London  Missionary  Society  are  also  experiencing  considerable 
anxiety  at  the  continued  absence  of  intelligence  from  their 
Tanganyika  expedition.  They  have  accordingly  asked  Dr.  Laws 
of  Livingstonia  to  despatch  trustworthy  messengers  to  Ujiji,  to 
inquire  into  the  state  of  the  mission  and  to  bring  letters  back.” 
It  is  earnestly  to  be  hoped  that  the  next  intelligence  will  be 
more  favourable. 

Having  thus  passed  under  review  the  various  matters  relating 
to  Africa  as  a country, — its  peoples,  colonies,  and  missions, — it 


378 


Africa : Past  and  Present. 


only  remains,  in  conclusion,  briefly  to  express  our  opinion 
as  to  what  this  interesting  and  important  quarter  of  the  globe 
most  urgently  requires  to  promote  its  highest  and  best  interests. 
We  regard  with  unqualified  favour  the  efforts  which  have  been 
made  to  open  up  the  interior  to  commerce  and  Christianity, 
and  we  honour  the  men  who  have  gone  forth  to  explore  the 
inner  regions  of  the  “dark  continent”  with  such  indomitable 
zeal  and  perseverance ; but  unless  these  herculean  labours  be 
followed  up  by  the  efforts  of  genuine  Christian  philanthropists 
with  still  higher  aims,  they  will  prove  of  little  avail.  What 
Africa  wants  above  everything  else  is  the  “ glorious  Gospel  of 
the  blessed  God.”  This  would  carry  in  its  train  every  other 
needful  blessing,  and  elevate  the  most  degraded  native  tribes 
to  the  condition  of  men  and  brethren. 

Let  the  Christian  Churches  of  Great  Britain,  Ireland,  and 
America  rise  to  the  importance  of  the  occasion,  and  “come 
up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty.”  There  is 
room  enough  in  this  vast  and  populous  continent  for  the 
evangelistic  efforts  of  all ; and  whether  we  regard  the  past 
history  of  the  down-trodden  and  suffering  people,  or  their 
present  degraded  state,  we  must  admit  that  there  is  a loud 
and  imperative  call.  We  mourn  over  the  prevalence  of  tribal 
wars,  slavery,  superstition,  and  crime  in  many  places ; but  let 
us  not  forget  that  we  have  the  remedy  in  our  own  hands. 
The  introduction  of  pure  and  unadulterated  Christianity  to 
every  region  and  to  every  tribe,  the  erection  of  places  of 
worship,  the  establishment  of  schools  and  institutions  for  the 
training  of  native  teachers  and  preachers,  and  the  faithful 
proclamation  of  the  Gospel,  would  soon  put  an  end  to  war, 
slavery,  and  sin  of  every  kind,  if  the  truth  were  received  in 
meekness  and  in  love,  as  we  have  seen  in  some  highly-favoured 
places.  Nor  shall  we  be  innocent  if  we  neglect  the  grand 
opportunity  which  is  presented  to  us  of  going  up  at  once  in 
faith  and  prayer  to  possess  the  land  for  Him  whose  right  it  is 
to  reign.  The  Divine  command  is,  “Go  ye  into  all  the 

WORLD  AND  PREACH  THE  GoSPEL  TO  EVERY  CREATURE.” 


INDEX 


AbBEOKUTA,  220 
Aberdeen,  278 
Abolition  of  slavery,  119 
Abomi,  178 
Abyssinia,  134 
Accra,  54 
Adams,  a sailor,  38 
Aden,  336 
Africa,  Central,  326 
,,  Eastern,  321 

,,  Northern,  127 

,,  Southern,  234 

,,  Western,  150 

African  Company,  16 
Air  in  the  Desert,  77 
Albany,  278 
Albert,  steamer,  74 
Albert,  village  of,  280 
Albuquerque,  Governor,  1 10 
Alburka,  steamer,  74 
Alcaide,  179 
Alexandria,  277 
Algiers,  144 
Alice,  village  of,  281 
Aliwal,  North,  280 
,,  South,  269 
Allsopp,  Rev.  Mr.,  311 
Amelia,  tender,  74 
Amendelboom,  270 
American  missions,  294 
Amidi  Fatu,  35 
Anamaboe,  212 
Anderson,  Mr.,  31,  33,  34 
Angola,  90,  231 

Animals  of  Western  Africa,  170 
Antonio  Gonzales,  109 
Arab  colonization,  327 
Arab  travellers,  3 
Arthington,  Mr.  Robert,  358 
Arts  and  manufactures,  188 


Ascension,  island  of,  75 
Ashanti,  102 
Ashantis,  175 
Atlas  mountain,  72 
Attah,  65 

Austrian  mission,  8 j 

Badagry,  54 
Bagamoyo,  360 
Baker,  Admiral,  63 
Baker,  Frederick,  95 
Baker,  Mr.  William,  354 
Baker,  Rev.  John,  208 
Baker,  Sir  Samuel,  84,  85 
Bambarra,  29,  38 
Bambouk,  25 
Bangala,  90 
Bangassi,  33 
Banks,  Sir  Joseph,  23 
Baptist  Miss.  Society,  200 
Barbary  States,  138 
Barca,  139 
Barotse,  89 

Barraconda,  falls  of,  13,  17 
Barrow,  the  traveller,  147 
Barth,  Dr^  77 

Basle  Miss.  Society,  217,  224 
Basutuland,  314 
Bathurst,  Gambia,  207,  227 
Baxter,  Dr.,  368 
Baxter,  Richard,  120 
Baynes,  Mr.,  239 
Beaufort,  270 
Beaufoy,  Mr.,  23 
Bedford,  279 
Beer,  Kaffir,  249 
Bell,  Rev,  William,  209 
Belvidere,  269 
Benezet,  Anthony,  119 
' Benin,  gulf  of,  37 


Index. 


380 

Benown,  27 
Bentang,  183 
Benume,  river,  78 
Berber,  376 

Berlin  Miss.  Society,  202,  294 
Bickersteth,  Rev.  E.,  202 
Biddumas,  77,  78 
Bimba,  69 

Birds  of  W.  Africa,  170 
Birth  of  a child  in  W.  Africa,  183 
Bishop  of  Llandaff,  23 
Blanes,  269 
Bloemfontein,  297 
Blumenbach,  Professor,  37 
Bohoo,  57 

Boo-Kalloom,  45,  47 

Boolibani,  43 

Bomou,  46,  78 

Botany  of  W.  Africa,  240 

Boshof,  298 

Boussa,  35,  50,  55 

Boy,  King,  61 

Brass  River,  61 

Brass  Town,  61 

Bredesdorp,  268 

Briggs,  Dr.,  64,  66 

British  African  Association,  23 

Brown,  Mr.,  323 

Bucker  Sano,  14 

Burnett,  Rev.  Messrs.  Roe  and,  229 
Burrop,  Rev.  Mr,  351 
Burton,  Major,  81,  82 
Bushmen,  243 
Butscher,  Mr.,  202. 

Buxton,  Sir  Fowel,  123 

Cailli6,  M.,  51 
Cairo,  84 

Calabar,  37,  68,  230 
Caledon,  268 
Calvenia,  269 

Cameron,  Lieutenant,  94,  99 
Cameroon,  river,  230 
Campbell,  Captain,  42 
Cannibalism,  193 
Cape  Bojador,  6,  39 
Cape  Coast,  210 
Cape  Coast  Castle,  213 
Cape  Colony,  260,  275 
Cape  Town,  264,  354 
Carnarvon,  ship,  63 


Carthage,  142 
Cassanga,  90 
Ceries,  village,  268 
Cetewayo,  King,  304 
Chachombe,  368 
Chandos,  Duke  of,  16 
Chelmsford,  Lord,  308 
Chiwyu,  95 
Chobe,  river,  88 
Chouma,  94 

Church  Missionary  Society,  370 

Circumcision,  249 

Civil  government,  1 79 

Clanwilliam,  269 

Clapperton,  Capt.,  45,  48,  49 

Clarmont,  265 

Clarkson,  Mr.,  120 

Climate,  W.  and  S.  Africa,  156,  241 

Colbert,  18 

Colesberg,  280 

Colchester,  277 

Columbine,  ship,  64 

Combo,  king  of,  209 

Commerce,  ship,  39 

Conch,  ship,  289 

Congo,  river,  9,  41,  99,  100,  230 
Constantine,  265 
Coode,  Sir  John,  236 
Coolies  in  Natal,  291 
Copplestone,  Mr.,  375 
Coterel,  Mr.,  357 
Cranch,  Mr.,  42 
Crescent,  transport,  31 
Crocodiles  worshipped,  191 
Cronstadt,  298 
Crowther,  Bishop.  220 
Cultivation,  W.  Africa,  167 
Currency,  187 

Dagboh,  68 
Dahomi,  I02 
Dahomans,  177 
Daisy,  steamer,  371 
Damaras,  251 
Damaraland,3i9 
Davison,  Mr.,  72 
Dawson,  Rev.  S.,  210 
Delagoa  Bay,  328 
Delaporte,  M.,  52 
Denham,  Major,  45,  47 
Deserts,  237 


Index, 


381 


Diamond  fields,  240,  281 
Dickenson,  Dr.,  351 
Dickson,  Mr.,  31 
Diego  Cam,  8 
Dingan,  King,  287 
Diniz  Fernandez,  7 
Dockard,  surgeon,  43 
Dodgshun,  Rev.  Mr.,  359,  362 
Dolphin,  steamer,  75 
Dordrich,  280 

Dove,  Rev.  T.  and  Mrs.,  2il 
Dress  in  W.  Africa,  186 
Du  Chaillu,  travels  of,  193 
Dunwell,  Rev.  Joseph,  215 
Dupuis,  M.,  39 
D’ Urban,  291 

Dutch  Reformed  Church,  270,  282 
Dutch  settlers,  255 

East  London,  286 
Ebenezer,  272 
Eboe,  60,  64,  65,  75 
Edendale,  291,  311 
Ederesa,  68 

Effendi,  Dr.  Emin,  376 
Egga,  68 
Egypt,  128,  37S 
Elmina,  8,  II 

Emancipation  of  slaves,  122 
Embomma,  99 
English  discoveries,  1 1 
English  settlers,  256 
Episcopal  Church,  271,  282,  293 
European  settlers,  255 
Eyeo,  49,  54 

Falaba,  43 

Falconbridge,  Dr.,  1 15 
Faleme,  25 
Fantis,  177 
Farmerfield,  278 
Fattaconda,  26 
Faltatenda,  25 
Faursmith,  297 
Felkin,  Mr.  R.  W.,  375,  377 
Fellatas,  174 
Female  warriors,  178 
Ferbanna,  25 
Fernando  Po,  67,  70,  227 
Fezzan,  36,  141 


Fever,  progress  of,  160 
,,  treatment  of,  161 
„ yellow,  16 1 
Fingoes,  250,  280 
Fishes  in  W.  Africa,  169 
Foolas,  pastoral,  172 
Forbes,  Mr.,  323 
Forests  in  S.  Africa,  238 
Fort  Beaufort,  279 
Fox,  Rev.  W.  and  Mrs.,  21 1 
Frazer,  Rev.  Mr.,  197 
Frazerburg,  279 
French  discoveries,  169 
French  Missionary  Society,  272,  314 
French  refugees,  257 
Frere,  Sir  Bartle,  307,  335 
Frere  Town,  199 
Funda,  66,  67 
Funerals  in  W.  Africa,  184 

Gallam,  21,  22,  43 
Gallas,  79 
Galway,  Mr.,  42 
Gambia,  ii,  71,  155,  206 
Genadendal,  268 
Geology  of  South  Africa,  239 
George,  269 

German  Missionary  Society,  217 

German  settlers,  257 

Ghat,  77 

Ghiorel,  21,  28 

Gibraltar,  72 

Gifford,  Lord,  310 

Glasgow  Missionary  Society,  20I 

Glenlyden,  279 

Glenpringle,  279 

Glover,  Captain,  217 

Godwin,  Rev.  Morgan,  119 

Gold  of  West  Africa,  16 1 

Gold  Coast,  8,  212 

Gondokoro,  85 

Gordon,  Colonel,  376,  377 

Goree,  island  of,  32,  216 

Govinia,  falls  of,  22 

Graaff  Reinett,  278 

Graham’s  Town,  277 

Granaries  in  West  Af  rica,  168 

Gray,  Captain,  43 

Gregrees  and  saphias,  19,  189 

Griffith,  Rev.  W.,  366,  369 

Griqualand,  315 


382 


Index. 


Griquas,  246 
Gum  arabic,  22,  166 

Hall,  Mr.  J.  W.,  37C 

Hall,  Rev.  G„  375 

Hamburgh,  281 

Hanover,  280 

Harriet,  transport,  74 

Harris,  Captain,  64 

Harrismith,  291,  292 

Harrop,  Rev.  P,  and  Mrs.,  216 

Hartwig,  202 

Hawkins,  Sir  J..  195 

Hawkins,  Rev.  R.  and  Mrs.,  210 

Heald  Town,  279 

Heat  in  West  Africa,  158 

Hector  Nunez,  I2 

Heidelbergh,  267 

Helmore,  Rev.  Mr.  and  family,  242 

Henderson,  Mr.  Henry,  354 

Hermannberg  Miss.  Society,  294 

Herodotus  and  Strabo,  2 

Hippopotami,  13 

Holub,  Dr.,  316 

Houghton,  Major,  25 

Hopefield,  277 

Hope  Town,  280 

Horace,  3 

Hore,  359,  362 

Plorneman,  Frederic,  35 

Hottentots,  242,  261 

Houses  in  West  Africa,  184 

Houssa,  47 

Houtson,  48 

Humandorp,  277 

Huntley,  Mr.,  359 

Hutchinson,  Mr.,  370 

Hyammah,  70 

I bn  Batuta,  4 
Iddah,  70,  7S 
llala,  steamer,  355 
Indaline,  291 
Induni,  367 
Insandula,  307 
Irish  emigrants,  257 
Isaaco,  34 
Ituru,  95 
Ivory,  166 

Jagga  country,  80 


Jalloffs,  171 
Jallonk,  forest  of,  30 
Jannequin,  19 
Jansenville,  277 
Jelifree,  226 
Jenne,  34 
Joag,  27 

Jobson,  Captain,  13 

John  and  Emanuel  of  Portugal,  6 

Johnson,  Mr.,  354 

Joliba,  29 

Juju  Jack,  193 

Kaarta,  27 
Kabinda,  99 
Kadira  mountain,  80 
Kaffirs,  247 
Kaffirland,  313 
Kaffraria,  British,  285 
Kagea,  371,  375 
Kagehyi,  97 
Kahayde,  20 
Kakundy,  42 

Kalahari  desert,  81,  87,  243 
Kalk  bay,  266 
Kanem,  46 
Kano,  47,  so,  73,  102 
Karagwah,  83 
Karague,  370 
Kazeah  Town,  80 
Kassan,  13 
Kasson,  27 
Kasye,  river,  90 
Kenia,  Mount,  8 1 
Khamesberg,  269 
Khedive  of  Egypt,  85 
Kiama,  50,  55 
Kilimanjaro,  Mount,  80 
Kilpatrick,  323 
Kimberley,  281 
Kingani,  river,  8 1 
Kingoma,  364 
King  William’s  Town,  286 
Kirasa,  361 
Kirk,  Dr.,  335 
KisuahaK,  367 
Kitanga,  367 
Knysna,  269 
Koi  Korondah,  363 
Kokfontein,  269 
Kolobeng,  86,  87,  89 


Index. 


383 


Kommaguas,  269 
Kong  mountains,  65 
Koran,  20,  102 
Korannas,  245 
Kouka,  46 
Krapf,  Dr.,  79,  339 
Kuka,  77 
Kummer,  Mr.,  42 
Kuruman,  86 

Lady  Alice,  steamer,  95,  96 

Ladysmith,  267,  291 

Laidley,  Dr.,  25,  26 

Laing,  Major,  43,  50 

Lake,  Captain,  62 

Laird,  Mr.  McGregor,  63,  66 

Lancelot,  navigator,  7 

Lane,  Rev.  George,  210 

Lander,  R.  and  J.,  24,  49,  50, 54>  70 

Lari,  46 

Last,  Mr.,  368 

Laws,  Rev.  Dr.  R.,  354 

Ledyard,  Mr.,  23 

Leeambye,  river,  89 

Leeba,  river,  89 

Leo,  the  traveller,  5 

Leven,  ship,  323,  329 

Leydenberg,  302 

Liberated  Africans,  199 

Liberia,  222 

Lily  Fountain,  274 

Linyanti,  89 

Livingstone,  Dr.,  86,  242,  246 
Livingstonia  Mission,  352,  356 
Loanda,  90 
Lobale,  plains  of,  90 
London  Miss.  Society,  283,  373 
Lotombroa,  river,  90 
Loubies,  173 
Louis  XIV.,  18 
Lovedale  institution,  284 
Lualaba,  river,  icx> 

Lucas,  Mr.,  24 
Lukongeh,  Chief,  373 
Luthems,  271 
Lyon,  Lieutenant,  44 

Maberia,  lake,  22 
Mabia,  river,  88 
Mackay,  Mr.,  374 
Mackenzie,  Bishop,  347 


Maclear,  cape,  353 

Macpherson’s  History,  HI 

Madagascar,  333 

Madagore,  73 

Magomero,  93,  348 

Makata,  swamp  of,  360 

Makololo  mission,  341 

Makololos,  87,  88,  90,  92 

Makonda,  89 

Malays,  252 

Malemba,  41 

Malmsbury,  269 

Manda,  291 

Mandanaree,  209 

Mandingoes,  17 1,  208 

Maniakora,  33 

Manners  and  customs,  179 

Mansong,  28 

Marambo,  363 

Ma-Robert,  steamer,  324 

Maroons,  196 

Marraboo,  20,  33 

Marriage  in  W.  Africa,  182 

Marshall,  Rev.  R.  and  Mrs,,  210 

Martin,  Major,  310 

Mayette,  330 

McKenny,  Rev.  John,  279 
Melons,  water,  87 
Melville,  269 
Mesurado,  cape,  222 
Middle  passage,  113 
Middlesburg,  278 
Milimo,  94 

Minerals  in  W.  Africa,  166 
Missions.  Christian,  338 
Moffat,  Dr.,  86,  366 
Mogadore,  38 
Mombassa,  79 
Monrovia,  222 
Montague,  267 
Moors,  29,  38,  173 
Moponda,  Chief,  355 
Mpwapwa,  368,  369 
Moravian  missions,  272 
Morgan,  Rev.  John,  208 
Morocco,  37,  72,  147 
Morrison,  Dr.,  48,  49 
Mountains  of  S.  Africa,  235 
Mourzouk,  36,  44 
Mowbray,  264 
Mozambique,  332 


384  Index. 


Mtesa,  King,  96,  97,  370 
Mukondokwa  pass,  360,  362 
Mullens,  Dr.,  358,  367 
Muller,  Rev.  Mr.,  76 
Mumbo-Jumbo,  181 
Munki,  Sultan,  44 
Murie,  Dr.,  87 
Murray,  Mr.,  87 
Murraysburg,  278 
Muta  N’zage,  lake,  98 
Myro,  ship,  197 

Namaqualand,  317 
Namaquas,  244 
Napoleon,  channel,  96 
Natal,  287 

Native  tribes,  171,  242 

Nautilus,  war  sloop,  196 

Negi'oes,  186,  251 

Nereid,  ship,  330 

New,  Rev.  C.,  340 

Newhaven,  269 

Nicholls,  Mr.,  37 

Niger  river,  4,  29,  41,  58,  154 

Niger,  exploration  of  the,  73,  228 

Nile,  84,  375 

N ’garni,  lake,  87 

Norwegian  Miss.  Society,  294 

Nubia,  132 

Nun,  river,  6i,  64 

Nunez,  Rio,  42 

N’yanza,  lake,  82,  83,  95,  370 

N’yassa,  lake,  92,  353 

Nyffe,  37 

Nylander,  Mr.,  202 

Obie,  King,  60 
Obohbe,  68 

Oldfield,  Dr.,  64,  67,  70 
O’Neil,  Mr.,  373 
Orange  Free  State,  295 
Origistad,  302 
Osiman,  69 
Ostrich  fanning,  24O 
Oswell,  Mr.,  87,  343 
Oudney,  Dr.,  45,  48 
Oudtshoorn,  269 
Ovampaland,  319 
Ovampos,  251 
Overweg,  Mr.,  77 
Owen,  Captain,  322,  329 


Paarl,  268 
Palaver  tree,  179 
Palm  oil,  165 
Panda,  chief,  287 
Panietta,  42 

Paris  Missionary  Society,  227 

Park,  Mungo,  26 

Pascoe,  the  negro,  54 

Pearce,  Captain,  48,  49 

Pearson,  Mr.  C.  W.,  •?75 

Peddie,  281 

Peddie,  Major,  42 

Penrose,  Mr.,  376 

Petherick,  consul,  85 

Phillips,  Rev.  Dr.,  284 

Picketberg,  269 

Pietermaritzburg,  291 

Pisina,  Gambia,  25,  30 

Pocock,  Edward  and  Frank,  95,  99 

Polygamy,  183 

Port  Elizabeth,  275,  354 

Port  Francis,  278 

Portendick,  227 

Porteus,  Bishop,  120 

Portuguese  colonisation,  327 

Portuguese  discoveries,  5 

Potatoes,  sweet,  196 

Potchefstroom,  301 

Potter,  Captain,  215 

Prasse,  Mr.,  202 

Presbyterians,  271 

Prester,  John,  a myth,  7 

Pretorious,  302 

Price,  Rev.  Mr.,  342,  362,  359 
Primitive  Methodists,  229 
Prince  Albert,  270 

Quango,  river,  90 
Quaque,  Philip,  214 
Queen’s  Town,  281 
Quilimane,  331 
Quorra,  steamer,  64,  65 

Rabba,  69 
Rabbi-Mpia,  79 
Ramsay,  James,  120 
Rawdon,  Lord,  23 
Rebbinan,  Mr.,  80,  339 
Rebeek,  Governor,  261 
Renner,  Mr.,  102 
Rhenish  Miss.  Society,  272 


Index, 


385 


Richardson,  Mr.,  77 
Richmond,  278,  291 
Richterfeld,  269 
Riddle,  Mr.  A.,  354 
Riley,  Mr.  James,  39 
Rio  Janeiro,  63 
Rio  Pongos,  201 
Ripon  falls,  96 
Ritchie,  Mr.,  44 
Riversdale,  267 
Rivers  of  S.  Africa,  235 
Robertson,  267 
Roentgen,  37 
Rondebosch,  265 
Rovuma,  river,  324,  347 
Rowley,  Rev.  H.,  346 
Rubeho,  368 
Rumanik,  369 
Rustenberg,  302 
Ruy  de  Sousa,  10 

Sackatoo,  23 
Sacrifices,  human,  192 
Salem,  278 
Sanagoma,  78 
Sandani,  367 
Sangenier,  22 
Sansan,  47 
Sansanding,  34,  35 
Santa  Isabel,  228 
Saron,  368 
Satado,  32 
Say,  79 

Schietfontein,  270 
Scotch  emigrants,  257 
Schon,  Rev.  Mr.,  76 
Scudamore,  Rev.  Mr.,  351 
Sebituane,  chief,  87,  88 
Secheke,  88 
Sechele,  chief,  87,  89 
Sego,  29 

Sekkeletu,  chief,  91 
Senegal,  river,  16 
Senna,  91,  323 
Sharp,  Mr.,  121,  196 
Shary,  river,  78 
Shaw,  Rev.  B.,  273 
Shaw,  Rev.  W.,  284 
Shepston,  Sir  T.,  301 
Shimeyn,  river,  94 
Shire,  river,  92,  355 


Shirwa,  lake,  92 
Sibbs,  Captain,  16 
Side  Hamet,  39 
Sierra  Leone,  195 
Sieur  Brue,  20 
Simbanwemmi,  360 
Simbing,  25 
Simon’s  Town,  266 
Simpson,  354 
Sir  Lowry’s  pass,  267 
Siwah,  36 

Slavery,  prevalence  of,  10 1 
,,  sources  of,  103 
Slaves,  method  of  procuring,  1 12  , 

,,  treatment  of,  107 
„ uses  of,  105 

,,  in  exile,  n6 

,,  emancipation  of,  122 
Slave  trade,  loi,  108 
Slengelly,  village  of,  330 
Smith,  Dr.  John,  371 
Smith,  Lieutenant,  371 
Smith,  Captain,  289 
Smith,  Mr.,  42 
Smitham,  Dr.,  196 
Smithfield,  289 
Somerset  (West),  266 
Songora,  373 
Soudan,  steamer,  74,  75 
Southampton,  steamer,  281 
South  African  Miss.  Society,  272 
Springbokfontein,  269 
Stanley,  Mr.,  23,  34,  370 
Stewart,  Mr. , 23 
Stewart,  Rev.  Dr.,  356 
Stockenstrom,  279 
Stokkis,  Mr.,  375 
Stokoe,  Lieutenant,  43 
St.  Domingo,  no 
St.  Mary’s,  Gambia,  71,  207 
St.  Joseph,  island  of,  22 
St.  Louis,  island  of,  19 
Steinthal,  268 
Stellenbosch,  266 
Superstitions,  189 
Susi,  94 
Symyati,  88 

Tanganyika,  lake,  82,  93,  98,  358 
Tangier,  72 
Tarwick  tribes,  78 


25 


386 


Index. 


Tchadda,  river,  57,  65,  66,  68 
Tchad,  lake,  46,  77,  78 
Tenda,  king  of,  14 
Tendabar,  208 
Tete,  91 
Teucolars,  173 
Thesswall,  Mr.,  329 
Thomas,  ship,  62 
Thompson,  Captain,  12,  197 
Thompson,  George,  Esq.,  246 
Thompson,  Rev.  T.,  214 
Thompson,  Rev.  Mr.,  359,  364 
Threlfall,  Rev.  W.,  329 
Timbuctu,  5,  21,  39,  51,  73,  78 
Traghan,  46 
Transvaal,  290 
Tripoli,  37,  140 
Tshaka,  king,  287 
Tsetse  fly,  88 
Tubiri,  82 

Tuckey,  Captain,  41 
Tudor,  Mr.,  42 
Tulbagh,  268 
Tunis,  142 

Uganda,  83,  96,  98,  370,  376 

Ugogo,  81,  360 

Ujiji,  82,  93,  98,  258,  364 

Ukambani,  80 

Ukaranga,  358 

Ukerewe,*37i 

Ulundi,  309 

Ungoro,  83 

Umhala,  291 

Ummesogeir,  36 

Universities’  Mission,  346 

Unyamweze,  81 

Unyanyemba,  360,  374 

Urambo,  363 

Uruavwa,  82 

Usagora,  81,  361 

Usavara,  97 

Utenhage,  276 

Uyni,  363 

Vanderkemp,  Dr.,  283 
Vermuyden,  15 
Verulam,  291 
Victoria,  281 
Victoria,  West,  270 
Victoria  falls,  91 


Victoria  Nile,  270 
Vogel,  Dr.,  79 

Waganda,  372 
Wainwright,  Jacob,  94 
Wakefield,  Rev.  Mr.,  340 
Wamie,  river,  360 
Wamrima  tribes,  80 
Wanyeturu,  96 
Warren,  Rev.  G.,  204 
Warrin^on,  Mr.,  40 
Wassanah,  40 
Waube,  78 
Wawa,  55 
Wedinoon,  38,  73 
Wellington,  268 
Wesley,  John,  120 
Wesleyan  Missionary  Society,  201, 
204,  273 

Western  Africa,  124 
Wliitefield,  George,  120 
Wilbetforce,  steamer,  74,  75 
Wilberforce,  Mr.,  121 
William  Harris,  ship,  63 
Wiltshire,  Mr.,  40,  73 
Wilson,  Rev.  Mr.,  371,  374 
Winberg,  297 
Witchcraft,  180 
Wittebergen,  280 
Wittlesea,  281 
Woknan  tribes,  80 
Wood,  Joseph,  120 
Woodie,  46 
Woolli,  25 

Woolman,  John,  139 
Woolmer,  Rev.  T.,  306 
Wolseley,  Sir  Garnet,  309 
Worcester,  268 

Wrigley,  Rev.  G.  and  Mrs.,  216 
Wupperthal,  269 
Wynberg,  265 

Ximenes,  Cardinal,  119 

Yams,  169 
Yani,  26 
Yaour,  35 
Yellala,  41 
Yimmaha,  66 
Yoruba,  49,  56 
Yorubans,  174 


Index, 


387 


York,  291 
Young,  Mr.,  357 
Youni,  54,  $6 

Zaire,  9,  50 

Zambezi,  river,  88,  93,  324 
Zambezi  expedition,  91,  93 
Zanzibar,  91,  333 


Zegzeg,  50 
Zoar,  267 

Zoology  of  W.  Africa,  24c 
Zouga,  river,  87 
Zoutpansberg,  302 
Zululand,  303 
Zungomero,8i 


Finis. 


Printed  by  Hazell,  Watson,  and  Viney,  London  and  Aylesbury. 


DATE  DUE 

GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  U S A. 

